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In:The Documentarist Turn: From observable linguistic behaviour to typological generalizations
Edited by Sonja Riesberg, Uta Reinöhl and Birgit Hellwig
[Studies in Language Companion Series 240] 2026
► pp. 287–313

Chapter 12
More diachronic than you think

Historical depth within language documentation corpora and its potential to mitigate two major biases in linguistics

ORCiD logo with link | University of Freiburg
This content is being prepared for publication; it may be subject to changes.
Abstract
This paper surveys and spotlights historical layers within language documentation corpora, with a particular emphasis on the many languages for which we lack historical written attestation. I highlight the potentials of lesser-prestige and lesser-accessible, often more conservative varieties, as well as the role of oral art. Paying greater attention to existing depth, and intensifying efforts to document lects and genres that point to greater age, will help advance both historical linguistics and typology in significant ways. On the one hand, conservative lects are particularly suitable for the investigation of (micro-)changes given the unusually tight control for other influencing factors. On the other hand, oral art may preserve what is often the only direct evidence of more ancestral forms and structures.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Diachronic depth within documentation corpora
  • 3.The language bias of historical linguistics
    • 3.1The state of the art
    • 3.2The historical lab approach in language documentation
  • 4.The synchrony bias of linguistic typology
    • 4.1Apples and oranges
    • 4.2Oral art and historical depth
  • 5.Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • Abbreviations
  • References
References (57)
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