# On Explaining Language Change

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***On Explaining Language Change*** is a 1980 book by [Roger Lass](/source/Roger_Lass) in which the author examines various aspects of [language change](/source/Language_change).

## Reception

The book was reviewed by [Suzanne Romaine](/source/Suzanne_Romaine), [Esa Itkonen](/source/Esa_Itkonen) and [Geoffrey Sampson](/source/Geoffrey_Sampson).[1][2][3]

## References

1. Sampson, Geoffrey (1 March 1981). "R. Lass, On Explaining Language Change; T. A. Perry, Ed., Evidence and Argumentation in Linguistics". *The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science*. **32** (1): 98–104. [doi:10.1093/bjps/32.1.98](https://doi.org/10.1093/bjps/32.1.98). [ISSN 0007-0882](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0007-0882)

1. Itkonen, Esa (1981). ["Review of On Explaining Language Change"](https://www.jstor.org/stable/414346). *Language*. **57** (3): 688–697. [doi:10.2307/414346](https://doi.org/10.2307/414346). [ISSN 0097-8507](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0097-8507). [JSTOR 414346](https://www.jstor.org/stable/414346)

1. Romaine, Suzanne (1983). ["Historical Linguistics and Language Change: Progress or Decay? (Review Article)"](https://www.jstor.org/stable/4167399). *Language in Society*. **12** (2): 223–237. [doi:10.1017/S0047404500009829](https://doi.org/10.1017/S0047404500009829). [ISSN 0047-4045](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0047-4045). [JSTOR 4167399](https://www.jstor.org/stable/4167399). [S2CID 142947419](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:142947419)

## External links

- [On Explaining Language Change](https://www.cambridge.org/ir/academic/subjects/languages-linguistics/historical-linguistics/explaining-language-change?format=PB&isbn=9780521117166)

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