《剑桥英语史》是第一部详尽地叙述英语历史的多卷本著作。其恢弘的气度和内容的权威性都是空前的。本书以时间为线索，叙述了早期英语的一千多年的历史；近300年来的英语，逐渐走向世界，成为一种世界性的语言，因此本书以地域为线索，叙述了现代英语在世界各地的发展历史。 本卷（第一卷）叙述的是诺曼征服之前的古代英语（1066年以前），包括印欧语系及日耳曼语族的源流、语音与形态、句法、语义学与词汇、方言、专名学以及文学语言等诸方面。在给出语言发展的详实的历史材料以外，也充分地论述了在这些领域中已取得的学术成绩，以及运用当代语言学理论对这些材料的阐释。所有的论述都不仅仅只以专业人士为对象，而是时时兼顾一般读者。对于所有对英语的历史有兴趣的读者，本书都是一部必备的工具书。

'Larry Trask's introduction to historical linguisties is what I've been wanting for many years: an introductory undergraduate textbook which presents the latest developments in historical research in a clear, exciting, and straightforward way.' Dorothy Disterheft, University of South Carolina This book is an introduction to historical linguistics- the study of language change over time, written in an engaging style and illustrated with examples from a wide range of languages, the book covers the fundamental concepts of language change, methods for historical linguistics,linguistic reconstruction, sociolinguistic aspects of language change, language contact, the birth and death of languages, language and prehistory and the issue of very remote relations. The book is thoroughly up to date, and covers the most recent work on the study of phonological change in progress, on morphological and syntactic change, and on typological approaches to change, It also addresses such reccent controversies as the Nostratic hypothesis and the Greenberg/Cavalli-Sforza work on language, genes and teeth. A minimal knowledge of linguistic concepts is needed and the book is suitable for students approaching the subject for the first time. The exercises will be particularly useful to teachers and students alike. The approach is data-oriented throughout and students are encouraged to confront data, to spot patterns and to draw on their own knowledge of languages.

Historical Linguistics provides a comprehensive and clearly written introduction to historical linguistic theory and methods.Sincs its first publication on 1962 the book has established itself as core reading for students of linguistics.This edition has been thoroughly revised.Drawing on recent linguistic and archaeological research Professor Lehmann incorporates key developments in the field.These include exciting advances in the history and development of writing and in typological classification which allow better understanding of the structure of early languages.The book is well-illustrated with Indo-European examples and supplementary exercises drawing on data from other language families as well.Historical linguistics will enable students to carry out independent work in historical studies on any language family,as well as up-to-date work in Indo-European.

《语言兴衰论》提出一个新的关于语言变化的裂变一聚变模式。过去语言学家认为语言演变只是分化裂变，因而建立了一个谱系树模型来刻画。而《未名译库·语言兴衰论》提出一个新的不但包括裂变，而且包括聚变的语言演变模型。这是因为我们现在认识到，在人类自有语言以来的十多万年中，语言不但会裂变，还会聚变。在聚变期，语言特征在某个地区扩散，结果当地的语言会聚变为一个共同的原型。随着民族以及语言的扩张和分裂，聚变稳态时不时地被打断。近几个世纪来，由于欧洲的殖民扩张和全球的信息交流，很多语言都面临灭绝。

《历史语言学》在写作过程中与叶蜚声、王福堂、王洪君三位同志多有讨论，他们都贡献了不少很好的意见；林焘先生为《历史语言学》绘制了北京话区域分布图，蒋绍愚同志为语言年代学的百词表作了古今汉语的异同对比，这些都使《历史语言学》增色不少。《历史语言学》初稿于1985年初写成后，蒙华中理工大学严学宭先生详为评阅，赐教多处，使作者得益匪浅；他还指导当时的研究生张振江同志对初稿进行逐节的推敲，提出了很多宝贵的意见。