Lyle Campbell presents an accessible, hands-on introduction to historical linguistics - one that does not just talk about the topics, but through practical exercises and examples shows you how to apply the procedures, how to think about the issues and, in general, how to do what historical linguists do. This 4th edition covers a wide range of topics including areal linguistics, linguistic prehistory, distant genetic relationships, language contact, lexical and semantic change, sociolinguistics and language change, quantitative and corpus research methods. Examples are drawn from a wide range of languages including English, French, German, and Spanish as well many non-Indo-European languages. With its lucid and engaging style, expert guidance and comprehensive coverage, this book is ideal for students coming to historical linguistics for the first time.