Additional information
by Ritsuko Kikusawa (Volume Editor), Susumu Okamoto (Volume Editor), Hiroyuki Suzuki (Volume Editor)
This book was compiled as a starting point for establishing a new research field called spatio-temporal linguistics. It presents two approaches to language: traditional geohistorical linguistics (Chapter 1) and modern computational methods, such as geographic information systems (GIS) and statistics (Chapter 2). Combining these methods will provide better access to knowledge about the developmental paths of languages in the future. Genetic, contact-induced, and sporadic changes will be more accessible and presented in a more dynamic way. The book illustrates a path from data collection to realizing this new field by collecting and analyzing field data on the languages of Fiji.
Author Biography
Ritsuko Kikusawa, Ph.D. (2000), University of Hawai'i, is Professor at the National Museum of Ethnology. Her edited volumes include Fijian Languages, Cultures, and Their Representation (2022) and Minpaku Sign Language Studies 1 & 2 (2019, 2021).
Susumu Okamoto, Ph.D. (2023), Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, is Specially Appointed Assistant Professor at the National Museum of Ethnology. He publishes on Fijian, including A Mismatch between Phonology and Grammar in Vatulele Fijian (2023).
Hiroyuki Suzuki, D.Litt. (2007), Kyoto University, is a Research Affiliate at that university. He has published numerous articles and monographs, including The Tibetic languages (co-authored; LACITO Publications, 2023) and Geolinguistics in the eastern Tibetosphere (Geolinguistic Society of Japan, 2022).
