Diachronic Studies in Lexicology, Affixation, Phonology

Book excerpt: The ten articles collected in this volume are an impressive indication of the range and depth of Malkiel's knowledge of diachronic processes in the Romance languages. In the author's experience, etymological studies of lexis frequently lead one into the areas of phonology and morphology, and the title of the book reflects these interrelationships. The volume opens with a previously unpublished paper which centers around the history of English. The other papers deal with topics from the Romance languages in general, and from Old French and Spanish in particular. The author has added a “Retrospect”, in which all articles are discussed once more in the light of recent developments. An Index of Names and an exhaustive Index of Key Concepts round off the volume.