World Englishes from the perspective of dialect typology

Abstract

Linguistic typology is concerned with classifying human languages and with identifying structural similarities and differences between these languages. Dialectology is the study of typically vernacular and regionally restricted and/or distinctive forms of language. Dialect typology focuses on the intersection between typology and dialectology. In this chapter, we (1) review the set of language-external factors (variety type, world region, exposure to contact) that has been used to categorize World Englishes, (2) summarize the literature about (vernacular) universals, angloversals, and related notions in World Englishes, and (3) discuss work on parameters of structural diversity in World Englishes (analyticity versus syntheticity, complexity versus simplicity).