Intro; PREFACE TO THE ENGLISH EDITION; TABLE OF CONTENTS; From the Editors; The Life and Activities of E.D. Polivanov; List of the Works of E.D. Polivanov; Basic Literature on E.D. Polivanov; I. INTRODUCTORY SECTION; II. THE THEORY OF LANGUAGE EVOLUTION; III. METHODS OF COMPARATIVE HISTORICAL LINGUISTICS; IV. SOCIOLOGICAL LINGUISTICS; V. APPLIED LINGUISTICS; VI. LINGUISTICS AND POETICS; APPENDIX