Contents // Preface viii // Acknowledgements xii // Prologue: Social correlates of linguistic structures xv // 1 Sociolinguistic typology and the speed of change 1 // 2 Complexification, simplification, and two // types of contact 15 // 3 Isolation and complexification 62 // 4 Mechanisms of complexification 91 // 5 Contact and isolation in phonology 116 // 6 Mature phenomena and societies of intimates 146 // Epilogue: On the future of linguistic complexity 185 // Bibliography 190 // Index 225