Historical Sociolinguistics and Native American Studies: Prospects and Perspectives

Abstract

English historical linguistics has changed considerably over the last twenty years: not only has it devoted more attention to the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, but it has also developed new approaches to historical pragmatics and historical sociolinguistics by taking into consideration such genres as diaries, correspondence and schoolbooks. Within this framework, Native American studies can be shown to have great potential to contribute useful interdisciplinary takes on the investigation of Late Modern times; in particular, innovative insights and findings may derive from such connections in the study of vocabulary, of teaching materials, and of cultural representations.