Genetic Classification and Language Contact

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Abstract

Over the years, a number of linguists have expressed reservations about many of the assumptions underlying this view, and in this paper the author examine both the orthodox view and various alternatives to it. The paper begins with a discussion of what it might mean to say that two languages are genetically related. Michael Noonan follows this with a discussion of models of genetic relatedness, paying special attention to the widely-accepted family tree model and the assumptions that underlie it. Then he considers various outcomes of language contact and discuss what sorts of models of genetic relatedness these are most compatible with. Lastly, he addresses the topic of speciation – the creation of new languages – and language contact.