Grammaticalization

The book is well-written, easy to follow, and appropriately balanced for both in-depth and broad understandings of grammaticalization ... it provides excellent discussion questions, extra reading material, and the right amount of complex-to-easy content that students taking a class on historical linguistics, grammaticalization, or related disciplines, as well as any scholar embarking on grammaticalization research would highly benefit from. * Jack Pruett, LINGUIST *
This new textbook provides an excellent understanding of grammaticalization and the mechanisms it uses. It provides an overview of various definitions and presents exciting examples, using very up-to-date studies. A variety of approaches to grammaticalization is discussed, as well as the possible motivations for the changes involved. The authors consider broader issues as well, e.g. typology and language contact, and go "beyond grammaticalization" in discussing lexicalization and de/regrammaticalization. * Elly van Gelderen, Arizona State University *
This is the first comprehensive treatment of grammaticalization in nearly twenty years, written by two very renowned scholars in the field. Its range and scope are impressive. The text is remarkably up-to-date and cites a wealth of scholarship, often reconciling contrasting theories and concepts. The terminological morass of grammaticalization studies is faced head on, with light shed on a number of problematic terms, such as scope, bleaching, and decategorialization. Examples are taken from a wide range of languages, including many non-Indo-European ones. The text is essential reading for advanced students of grammaticalization as well as seasoned scholars. * Laurel Brinton, University of British Columbia *
Grammaticalization is a very accessible, up-to-date introduction to the field that is well-tailored to the needs of students and scholars with little to no previous knowledge of the topic. * David Paul Gerards, Journal of Pragmatics *