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1. Introductory texts

  • Aitchison, J. 2001. Language change: Progress or decay? 3rd edition. CUP
  • Anttila, R. 1972. An Introduction to Historical and comparative linguistics. Macmillan.  
  • Antilla, R. 1989. Historical and comparative linguistics. 2nd edition. John Benjamins.
  • Bynon, T. 1983. Historical linguistics. 2nd edition. CUP.
  • Campbell, L. 2004. Historical Linguistics. An Introduction. 2nd edition. Edinburgh University Press.
  • Crowley, T. 2010. An Introduction to Historical Linguistics, 4th edition, OUP.
  • Hock, H.H. 1991. Principles of Historical Linguistics,. 2nd edition, Mouton de Gruyter.
  • Hock, H.H. and B.D. Joseph 2009.Language History, Language Change, and Language Relationship: An Introduction to Historical and Comparative Linguistics. 2nd ed. Mouton de Gruyter.
  • McMahon, A.M.S. 1994. Understanding Language Change. CUP.
  • Trask, R.L. 2007. Trask's Historical Linguistics. 2nd edition, revised by Robert McColl Millar. Hodder Arnold.

2. More advanced work

  • Bloomfield, L. 1933. Language. Chicago. A classic; the second part is dedicated to historical linguistics and though outdated is still important.
  • Croft, W. 2000. Explaining Language Change. CUP.
  • Dixon, R. 1997. The Rise and Fall of Languages. CUP.
  • Durie, M. and M. Ross (eds). 1996. The Comparative Method Reviewed. OUP.
  • Fox, A. 1995. Linguistic Reconstruction. An Introduction to Theory and Method. OUP.
  • Harris, A., and L. Campbell. 1995. Historical syntax in cross-linguistic perspective. CUP.
  • Heine, B., U. Claudi, and F. Hünnemeyer. 1991. Grammaticalization: A conceptual framework. Chicago University Press.
  • Hopper, P. J., and E. Closs Traugott. 2003. Grammaticalization. 2nd edition. CUP.
  • Joseph, B.D. and R.D. Janda (eds). 2003. The Handbook of Historical Linguistics. Blackwell.
  • Kemenade, A. van and N. Vincent, 1997. Parameters of Morphosyntactic Change. CUP.
  • Labov, W. 1994-2010 Principles of Linguistic Change. Vol. I. Internal Factors; Vol. II. Social Factors. Vol. III. Cognitive and Cultural Factors. Blackwell.
  • Lass, R. 1997. Historical Linguistics and Language Change. CUP.
  • Lightfoot, D. 1991. How to Set Parameters: Arguments from Language Change. MITP.
  • Lightfoot, D. 1999. The Development of Language: Acquisition, Change and Evolution. Blackwell.
  • Milroy, J. 1992. Linguistic Variation and Change: on the Historical Sociolinguistics of English. Blackwell.
  • Thomason, S.G. and T. Kaufmann, 1988.Language Contact, Creolization and Genetic Linguistics. California University Press.

3. Journals

Some of the best work in historical linguistics is published either in general linguistics journals or in the journals dedicated to specific languages or language groups. The old periodicals tend to be dedicated mainly to Indo-European studies (Indogermanische Forschungen and also @Historische Sprachforschung which has replaced the old Zeitschrift für Vergleichende Sprachwissenschaft). Two more modern journals concentrate on historical linguistics: Folia linguistica historica and @Diachronica; historical articles also appear frequently in the @Transactions of the Philological Society.