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In Greek thought, barbaroi are utterers of unintelligible or inarticulate sounds. What importance does the text of Herodotus's Histories attribute to language as a criterion of ethnic identity? The answer to this question illuminates the empirical foundations of Herodotus's pluralistic worldview. The first translator of cultures also translates, describes, and evaluates foreign speech to a degree unparalleled by other Greek ancient authors. For Herodotus, language is an area of interesting but surprisingly unproblematic difference, which he offers to his audience as a model for coming to terms in a neutral way with other, more emotionally charged, cultural differences.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)

• pt.
• 1. Language. Encountering Welsh
• Linguistic taste
• Inventing language
• pt.
• 2. Literature. Mythological sources
• Arthurian literature
• Breton connections
• pt.
• 3. Identity. Insular identities.

Tolkien once wrote: 'I love Wales - and especially the Welsh language'. This book explores how that love influenced Tolkien's ideas about language, many aspects of his creative writing, and his sense of an English identity. It describes more fully than before the extent and depth of Tolkien's debt to Welsh language and literature, and argues that Tolkien's love of Wales and Welsh is inseparable from his love of, and sense of belonging to, England. The book gives detailed attention to both Tolkien's fiction and his scholarly writings, including some relatively neglected texts. Wales and Welsh were seminal influences on the writings of the twentieth century's most popular writer and this book reveals the range and depth of these influences.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)

Language is a wild animal: rough, ambiguous, inconsistent in countless ways. But that just makes it all the more tempting to tame it. Many have tried, from sticklers for supposedly correct grammar to inventors of supposedly perfect languages; from software engineers working on machine translation to governments that see language management as politics by another means. But when you enter the lair of a wild beast, you can be lucky to escape with your wits. Join Lane Greene on a journey of discovery into the deep strangeness of language. Learn why grammar rules can never capture the extraordinary variety of ordinary usage. See what happens when you try to design a language that really makes sense. Find out why, for all the talk of decline in English, no language in recorded history has ever gone to the dogs, or ever could. And learn the fate of those bold individuals who, through heroism or ignorance, ventured to teach their tongue some new tricks.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)

• Introduction
• 1. Indo-European Languages
• 2. Germanic Languages
• 3. English
• 4. German
• 5. Dutch
• 6. Danish, Norwegian and Swedish
• 7. Latin and the Italic Languages
• 8. Romance Languages
• 9. French
• 10. Spanish
• 11. Portuguese
• 12. Italian
• 13. Romanian
• 14. Slavonic Languages
• 15. Russian
• 16. Polish
• 17. Czech and Slovak
• 18. Serbo-Croat: Bosnian, Croatian, Montenegrin, Serbian
• 19. Greek
• 20. Indo-Aryan Languages
• 21. Sanskrit
• 22. Hindi-Urdu
• 23. Bengali
• 24. Iranian Languages
• 25. Persian
• 26. Pashto
• 27. Uralic Languages
• 28. Hungarian
• 29. Finnish
• 30. Turkish and the Turkic Languages
• 31. Afroasiatic Languages
• 32. Semitic Languages
• 33. Arabic
• 34. Hebrew
• 35. Amharic
• 36. Hausa and the Chadic Languages
• 37. Tamil and the Dravidian Languages
• 38. Tai Languages
• 39. Thai
• 40. Vietnamese
• 41. Sino-Tibetan Languages
• 42. Chinese
• 43. Burmese
• 44. Japanese
• 45. Korean
• 46. Austronesian Languages
• 47. Malay-Indonesian
• 48. Javanese
• 49. Tagalog
• 50. Niger-Kordafian (Niger-Congo) Languages
• 51. Yoruba
• 52. Swahili and the Bantu Languages.
• (source: Nielsen Book Data)

The World's Major Languages features over 50 of the world's languages and language families. This revised edition includes updated bibliographies for each chapter and up-to-date census figures. The featured languages have been chosen based on the number of speakers, their role as official languages and their cultural and historical importance. Each language is looked at in depth, and the chapters provide information on both grammatical features and on salient features of the language's history and cultural role. The World's Major Languages is an accessible and essential reference work for linguists.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)

This book introduces the basic systems of language, and examines how these can be investigated and described. The systems of organizing speech sounds (phonology), meaning (lexical semantics), and grammar (morphology and syntax) are described, along with methods of figuring these out for other languages. The text will foster a deep appreciation in the reader of the fact that language is patterned and that these patterns can be discovered. To this end, problems using actual language data are presented so that the reader can apply the methods described in the book. In a sense, An Introduction to Language Description is a workbook in linguistic analysis where the reader can actually get involved in dealing with language data. Suggested solutions are provided following the exercises. The book has an anthropological outlook with a focus upon usage, not correctness. Further, language structures are not presented as abstract puzzles divorced from actual human speech communication. Throughout each chapter, references are made to humans speaking and choosing among structural elements. This is designed to ground the presentation in the realities of speech; a reality that each reader shares as a language user.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)

Native and foreign language competences constitute a widespread object of study among different scholars both in more theoretically oriented frameworks within general linguistics and in applied linguistics such as second language acquisition research. This book shows how language competences can be understood from different perspectives. The eight chapters in this book treat various dimensions of language competences and different aspects of English, German, and Spanish. The aim is to provide some answers to the often raised questions regarding language competence in practical as well as principled ways and to provide new angles on these competences in areas such as general linguistics, business communications, legal language, and within the service sector. The authors have worked within the foreign language and linguistic field for many years, making substantial contributions through the publication and dissemination of research in international journals and with international publishers. This volume is aimed at readers (scholars, students and professionals alike) who take an interest in language competences. The book thus offers a broad view on native and foreign language competences and the various facets of these concepts that are reflected in our multicultural and multilingual societies.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)

• Volume I: Abaza to Kyrgyz. Preface. Glossary of terms. The International Phonetic Alphabet Chart. IPA symbols by feature/point of articulation. IPA symbols by alphabetic similarity. Index of languages. Languages A-Z Volume II: Lak to Zuni. Languages L-Z. Comparative grid of numbers 1-10 (alphabetical listing). Comparative grid of numbers (genetic listing). Bibliography.
• (source: Nielsen Book Data)

This third edition of Compendium of the World's Languages has been thoroughly revised to provide up-to-date and accurate descriptions of a wide selection of natural language systems. All cultural and historical notes as well as statistical data have been checked, updated and in many cases expanded. Presenting an even broader range of languages and language families, including new coverage of Australian aboriginal languages and expanded treatment of North American and African languages, this new edition offers a total of 342 entries over nearly 2000 pages. Key features include: Complete rewriting, systematization and regularisation of the phonology sections Provision of IPA symbol grids arranged by articulatory feature and by alphabetic resemblance to facilitate use of the new phonology sections Expansion of morphology descriptions for most major languages Provision of new illustrative text samples Addition of a glossary of technical terms and an expanded bibliography Comparative tables of the numerals 1-10 in a representative range of languages, and also grouped by family Drawing upon a wealth of recent developments and research in language typology and broadened availability of descriptive data, this new incarnation of George Campbell's astounding Compendium brings a much-loved survey emphatically into the twenty-first century for a new generation of readers. Scholarly, comprehensive and highly accessible, Compendium of the World's Languages remains the ideal reference for all interested linguists and professionals alike.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)

• Introduction
• 1. Indo-European Languages Philip Baldi
• 2. Germanic Languages John A. Hawkins
• 3. English Edward Finegan
• 4. German John A. Hawkins
• 5. Dutch Jan G. Kooij
• 6. Danish, Norwegian and Swedish Einar Haugen
• 7. Latin and the Italic Languages R.G.G. Coleman
• 8. Romance Languages John N. Green
• 9. French Linda R. Waugh and Monique Monville-Burston
• 10. Spanish John N. Green
• 11. Portuguese Stephen Parkinson
• 12. Italian Nigel Vincent
• 13. Rumanian Graham Mallinson
• 14. Slavonic Languages Bernard Comrie
• 15. Russian Bernard Comrie
• 16. Polish Gerald Stone
• 17. Czech and Slovak David Short
• 18. Serbo-Croat: Bosnian, Croatian, Montenegrin, Serbian Greville Corbett and Wayles Browne
• 19. Greek Brian D. Joseph
• 20. Indo-Aryan Languages George Cardona
• 21. Sanskrit George Cardona
• 22. Hindi-Urdu Yamuna Kachru
• 23. Bengali M.H. Klaiman
• 24. Iranian Languages J.R. Payne and Behrooz Mahmoodi-Bakhtiari
• 25. Persian Gernot L. Windfuhr
• 26. Pashto D.N. MacKenzie
• 27. Uralic Languages Robert Austerlitz
• 28. Hungarian Daniel Abondolo
• 29. Finnish Michael Branch
• 30. Turkish and the Turkic Languages Jaklin Kornfilt
• 31. Afroasiatic Languages Robert Hetzron
• 32. Semitic Languages Robert Hetzron and Alan S. Kaye
• 33. Arabic Alan S. Kaye
• 34. Hebrew Robert Hetzron and Alan S. Kaye
• 35. Amharic Grover Hudson
• 36. Hausa and the Chadic Languages Paul Newman
• 37. Tamil and the Dravidian Languages Sanford B. Steever
• 38. Tai Languages David Strecker
• 39. Thai Thomas John Hudak
• 40. Vietnamese Dinh-Hoa Nguy.n
• 41. Sino-Tibetan Languages Scott DeLancey
• 42. Chinese Charles N. Li and Sandra A. Thompson
• 43. Burmese Julian K. Wheatley
• 44. Japanese Masayoshi Shibatani
• 45. Korean Nam-Kil Kim
• 46. Austronesian Languages Ross Clark
• 47. Malay-Indonesian Uri Tadmor
• 48. Javanese Michael P. Oakes
• 49. Tagalog Paul Schachter and Lawrence A. Reid
• 50. Niger-kordafian Languages Douglas Pulleyblank
• 51. Yoruba Douglas Pulleyblank and O. lanike. O. la Orie
• 52. Swahili and Bantu Benji Wald.
• (source: Nielsen Book Data)

This volume features over 50 of the world's languages and language families. The featured languages have been chosen based on the number of speakers, their role as official languages and their cultural and historical importance. Each language is looked at in depth, and the chapters provide information on both grammatical features and on salient features of the language's history and cultural role. This second edition has been updated and revised. Two new languages, Amharic and Javanese, have been included. This accessible volume will appeal to anyone with an interest in linguistics. Key features: Attention is paid to both grammatical and sociolinguistic features Attention is concentrated on the world's major languages Designed to be accessible to all readers with an interest in language.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)

• 1. Introduction
• PART ONE: WORDS
• 2. Word Classes
• 3. Forming New Words
• 4. Meaning of Words
• PART TWO: SYNTAX AND DISCOURSE
• 5. The Simple Sentence
• 6. Compound and Complex Sentences
• 7. Using Language
• PART THREE: SPEECH AND WRITING
• 8. Phonetics
• 9. Phonology
• 10. Writing
• PART FOUR: VARIATION AND CHANGE
• 11. Varieties
• 12. Language Change
• PART FIVE: THE BRAIN
• 13. Language Acquisition
• 14. Language Processing: Brains and Computers
• 15. The Origin of Language
• Glossary of Terms
• References and Further Reading
• Index.
• (source: Nielsen Book Data)

In clear, congenial style Barry Blake explains how language works. He describes the make-up of words and how they're built from sounds and signs and put together in phrases and sentences. He examines the dynamics of conversation and the relations between the sound and meaning. He shows how languages help their users connect to each other and to the world, how they vary around the world, why they never stop changing, and that no two people speak a language in the same way. He looks at how language is acquired by infant children, how it relates to thought, and its operations in the brain. He investigates current trends and issues such as the levelling of linguistic class differences and the rise of new secret or in-group languages such as argot and teenspeak. He describes the history of writing from its origins to digital diffusion, and ends by looking at how language might have originated and then evolved among our distant hominid and primate ancestors. Language is crucial to every aspect of our lives whether we're thinking, talking, or dreaming. Barry Blake reveals the wonders that lie beneath the surface of everyday communication, enriching his exposition with a unique blend of anecdote and humour. His engaging guide is for everyone curious about language or who needs to know more about it.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)

• World languages
• European languages
• North and West African languages
• Central, East, and Southern African languages
• South Asian languages
• Central, Western, and Northern Asian languages
• East and Southeast Asian languages
• Australia-Pacific languages
• Languages of the Americas
• Endangered languages
• Extinct languages.

There are more than six thousand languages used around the world today, although linguists now estimate that by the year 2050 as many as half of those will be extinct. This beautifully designed, engagingly written reference takes us on a panoramic tour of the globe to explore this unique and endangered human gift.Generously illustrated throughout with color photographs, informative sidebars, and clear maps and graphics, "One Thousand Languages" illuminates the sources, characteristics, and interrelationships of the world's spoken tongues. It looks in detail at the eleven global languages, then delves into the major languages of each world region in turn. Each entry gives a history of the growth and development of the language, details the number of speakers, and traces its geographical spread. The volume also provides information on many extinct languages. A detailed map section tracks the migrations of the major languages, and the book also tells how to count to ten in more than 250 ways. It is brought to you by Copub: Ivy Press Limited.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)

• World languages
• European languages
• North and West African languages
• Central, East, and Southern African languages
• South Asian languages
• Central, Western, and Northern Asian languages
• East and Southeast Asian languages
• Australia-Pacific languages
• Languages of the Americas
• Endangered languages
• Extinct languages.

There are more than six thousand languages used around the world today, although linguists now estimate that by the year 2050 as many as half of those will be extinct. This beautifully designed, engagingly written reference takes us on a panoramic tour of the globe to explore this unique and endangered human gift.Generously illustrated throughout with color photographs, informative sidebars, and clear maps and graphics, "One Thousand Languages" illuminates the sources, characteristics, and interrelationships of the world's spoken tongues. It looks in detail at the eleven global languages, then delves into the major languages of each world region in turn. Each entry gives a history of the growth and development of the language, details the number of speakers, and traces its geographical spread. The volume also provides information on many extinct languages. A detailed map section tracks the migrations of the major languages, and the book also tells how to count to ten in more than 250 ways. It is brought to you by Copub: Ivy Press Limited.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)