Historical and comparative linguistics Books

5071 products


  • The Naming of the Shrew

    Bloomsbury Publishing PLC The Naming of the Shrew

    4 in stock

    Book SynopsisLatin names frequently unpronounceable, all too often wrong and always a tiny puzzle to unravel have been annoying the layman since they first became formalised as scientific terms in the eighteenth century. Why on earth has the entirely land-loving Eastern Mole been named Scalopus aquaticus, or the Oxford Ragwort been called Senecio squalidus dirty old man'? What were naturalists thinking when they called a beetle Agra katewinsletae, a genus of fish Batman, and a Trilobite Han solo? Why is zoology replete with names such as Chloris chloris chloris (the greenfinch), and Gorilla gorilla gorilla (a species of, well gorilla)?The Naming of the Shrew will unveil these mysteries, exploring the history, celebrating their poetic nature and revealing how naturalists sometimes get things so terribly wrong. With wonderfully witty style and captivating narrative, this book will make you see Latin names in a whole new light.Trade ReviewWho would have thought that a book about Latin names could be quite so compelling!! * Alan Titchmarsh *Brims with verbal curiosities * Nature *Nature writing at its best: insightful, entertaining and often very funny * British Wildlife *I have not fully recovered from the discovery that the proper Latin name of the western lowland gorilla is Gorilla gorilla gorilla * Independent on Sunday *Weird and wonderful * Sunday Telegraph *Charming * The Lady *The pleasure of Wright’s book is the contrast between the rigour required for giving names and the careless minds and mischievous humour of those who devise them * The Times *Fascinating and funny * BBC Countrylife *Erudite but whimsical ... a book as charming as it is wise * Irish Examiner *A great read * Grow Your Own *

    4 in stock

    £10.44

  • The Illustrated Etymologicon: A Circular Stroll

    Icon Books The Illustrated Etymologicon: A Circular Stroll

    4 in stock

    Book SynopsisA NEW, BEAUTIFULLY ILLUSTRATED HARDBACK EDITION OF THE SUNDAY TIMES NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER, PUBLISHED ON ITS TENTH ANNIVERSARY.'Witty and erudite ... stuffed with the kind of arcane information that nobody strictly needs to know, but which is a pleasure to learn nonetheless.' Nick Duerden, Independent.'Particularly good ... Forsyth takes words and draws us into their, and our, murky history.' William Leith, Evening Standard.The Etymologicon is an occasionally ribald, frequently witty and unerringly erudite guided tour of the secret labyrinth that lurks beneath the English language.What is the actual connection between disgruntled and gruntled? What links church organs to organised crime, California to the Caliphate, or brackets to codpieces?Mark Forsyth's riotous celebration of the idiosyncratic and sometimes absurd connections between words is a classic of its kind: a mine of fascinating information and a must-read for word-lovers everywhere.'Highly recommended' SpectatorTrade Review[Forsyth] riff[s] very entertainingly on the hidden connections of words (from brackets and codpieces, to cappuccinos and monkeys). -- Robert McCrum, The GuardianI'm hooked on Forsyth's book - Crikey, but this is addictive. -- Mathew Parris, The TimesKudos should go to Mark Forsyth, author of The Etymologicon - Clearly a man who knows his onions, Mr Forsyth must have worked 19 to the dozen, spotting red herrings and unravelling inkhorn terms, to bestow this boon - a work of the first water, to coin a phrase. -- The Daily TelegraphThis year's must-have stocking filler - the angel on the top of the tree, the satsuma in the sock, the threepenny bit in the plum pudding, the essential addition to the library in the smallest room is Mark Forsyth's The Etymologicon. -- Ian Sansom, The GuardianThe stocking filler of the season. -- Robert McCrum, The ObserverWitty and erudite ... stuffed with the kind of arcane information that nobody strictly needs to know, but which is a pleasure to learn nonetheless. -- Nick Duerden, IndependentThis witty book liberates etymology from the dusty pages of the dictionary and brings it alive. -- Good Book Guide'The Etymologicon' contains fascinating facts -- Daily MailFrom Nazis and film buffs to heckling and humble pie, the obscure origins of commonly-used words and phrases are explained. -- Daily TelegraphA collection of verbal curiosities ... fascinating. -- SpectatorA perfect bit of stocking filler for the bookish member of the family, or just a cracking all-year-round read. Highly recommended. -- SpectatorLight, entertaining and fascinating ... This is really one of those books where you have to fight hard to resist telling anyone in earshot little snippets every five minutes. -- Brian CleggAn absolute gem ... a pleasure to read. -- Books MonthlyI want this book to be never-ending ... a real winner. -- Books MonthlyIt makes for a very good read ... a perfect Christmas gift for anyone who might be interested in where our words come from. -- A Common ReaderI adored this book. I read and read and then I read some more until it was all gone. It was just my cup of tea, well presented, engaging, witty, wonderful. Full of usable facts and great anecdotes, it's one of the only 'history' books I've read this year that was anything other than dull as dishwater. Full marks. -- The BookbagMark Forsyth, who blogs as 'The Inky Fool,' is an extreme and hugely entertaining practitioner. -- Financial TimesThe subtitle ... 'A Circular Stroll Through the Hidden Connections of the English Language' ... is a misdescription. It is not a stroll; it is a plunge on a toboggan where the only way to stop is to fall off. -- Financial Times[A] glorious journey through the English language and its intriguing nuggets. * Daily Mail *

    4 in stock

    £17.00

  • Words from Hell

    John Murray Press Words from Hell

    4 in stock

    Book SynopsisFrom bodily functions to the dirtiest insults onto war and weaponry to illicit substances, this book goes where no dictionary has dared go before. It is the only adults-only etymology dictionary.

    4 in stock

    £10.44

  • Sanskrit Grammar

    Manohar Publishers and Distributors Sanskrit Grammar

    4 in stock

    Book SynopsisSimilar to Phoenician, Babylonian, ancient Greek and Tamil, Sanskrit too has an advanced grammar system. Panini was noted as one of the world's first grammarians who composed the rules of grammar, which itself is an achievement. This book, Sanskrit Grammar, is for learning Classical Sanskrit for beginners to advanced level. It contains basic and advanced grammar rules such as alphabets, numerical systems, sounds, vowels-consonants, nouns, adjectives, declensions, conjugations, compound stems, and so forth.

    4 in stock

    £53.19

  • Word Nerds Unite

    Thomas Nelson Publishers Word Nerds Unite

    3 in stock

    Book SynopsisWhy are spectacularly successful movies called blockbusters? Why does putting your best foot forward mean you hope to make a good impression? Why is rowdy and prankish behavior called horseplay and what does it have to do with the rarity of horses? Word Nerds Unite! shares 200 fascinating word meanings for fans of Wordle, Scrabble, and other word games.You''ve probably used words or phrases like these without giving them a second thought. But you''ll be surprised and interested to discover the fascinating and sometimes curious origins to these fun sayings!In Word Nerds Unite! you''ll find: 200 quirky, interesting words, phrases, and colloquial terms Backstory for these colorful sayings still used today How some of our favorite expressions have evolved through the years You''ll discover such fascinating word and phrase origins for: handwriting on the wall play for keeps

    3 in stock

    £9.89

  • Historical Linguistics

    Edinburgh University Press Historical Linguistics

    3 in stock

    Book SynopsisLyle Campbell presents an accessible, hands-on introduction to historical linguistics. The fourth edition has a lucid and engaging style, expert guidance and comprehensive coverage, making it ideal for students coming to historical linguistics for the first time.

    3 in stock

    £26.99

  • Found in Translation: The Unexpected Origins of

    John Murray Press Found in Translation: The Unexpected Origins of

    3 in stock

    Book SynopsisFound in Translation: The Unexpected Origins of Place Names unravels the tangled threads of history and etymology to uncover the strange, intriguing and enlightening stories that have shaped the names of countries and places around the world.Starting in the world's second largest country, Canada, whose name means 'the village', renowned travel writer, Duncan Madden takes us on a spellbinding tour through the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia and Oceania, visiting the weird and wonderful along the way. Learn about the Land Protected by Fire , otherwise known as Azerbaijan; drop by Hippopotamus, or Mali; and sail to the Land of Frizzy-Haired Men in Papua New Guinea.Found in Translation will entertain and inspire the culturally curious - armchair explorers and avid travellers, historians, linguists and lovers of language - painting a new perspective on the names, histories and origins of the places we live in and travel to. Visiting more than sixty countries across all six continents, Found in Translation includes the stories of Canada, USA, Mexico, Costa Rica, Cuba, Brazil, Argentina, Iceland, Ireland, UK, Germany, Russia, Italy, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Iraq, India, China, Thailand, Korea, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and many more...The foreword, written by bestselling author, explorer and photographer, Levison Wood, sets the context for this revelatory work that is part travelogue, history book and etymological reference.

    3 in stock

    £13.49

  • 188 Words for Rain

    Ebury Publishing 188 Words for Rain

    3 in stock

    Book SynopsisAlan Connor has had a column about words in the Guardian since 2011. His comedy writing includes Charlie Brooker's Wipe programmes and Have I Got News For You. His previous books have dealt with why we enjoy quiz questions and what life is like in different areas of the Shipping Forecast. His favourite kind of rain is a fine, misty Scottish smirr.

    3 in stock

    £15.29

  • Origins of Language A Slim Guide Oxford

    Oxford University Press Origins of Language A Slim Guide Oxford

    3 in stock

    Book SynopsisOrigins of Language: A Slim Guide offers a concise and accessible overview of what is known about the evolution of the human capacity for language. Non-human animals communicate in simple ways: they may be able to form simple concepts, to feel some limited empathy for others, to cooperate to some extent, and to engage in mind-reading. Human language, however, is characterized by its ability to efficiently express a wide range of subtle and complex meanings. After the first simple beginnings, human language underwent an explosion of complexity, leading to the very complicated systems of grammar and pronunciation found in modern languages. Jim Hurford looks at the very varied aspects of this evolution, covering human prehistory; the relation between instinct and learning; biology and culture; trust, altruism, and cooperation; animal thought; human and non-human vocal anatomy; the meanings and forms of the first words; and the growth of complex systems of grammar and pronunciation. Written by an internationally recognized expert in the field, it draws on a number of disciplines besides linguistics, including philosophy, neuroscience, genetics, and animal behaviour, and will appeal to a wide range of readers interested in language origins and evolution.Trade ReviewThis short guide to modern empirical research on language evolution provides a breezy and readable introduction to the many issues involved in understanding how humans came to possess one of our most prized capacities: our ability to acquire and use language. * Tecumseh Fitch, University of Vienna *Table of Contents1. The prehistory of a very special ape ; 2. Nature, nurture, and language ; 3. How trusted talk started ; 4. Concepts before language ; 5. We began to speak, and hear differently ; 6. Coining words ; 7. Building powerful grammar engines ; 8. Pronunciation gets complex

    3 in stock

    £19.99

  • A Smaller LatinEnglish Dictionary. Abridged From

    Legare Street Press A Smaller LatinEnglish Dictionary. Abridged From

    3 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    3 in stock

    £24.26

  • Language of the Third Reich

    Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Language of the Third Reich

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisA labourer, journalist and a professor who lived through four successive periods of German political history from the German Empire, through the Weimar Republic and the Nazi state through to the German Democratic Republic Victor Klemperer is regarded as one of the most vivid witnesses to a tumultuous century of European history. First published in 1957, The Language of the Third Reich arose from Klemperer''s conviction that the language of the Third Reich helped to create its culture. As Klemperer writes: ''It isn''t only Nazi actions that have to vanish, but also the Nazi cast of mind, the typical Nazi way of thinking, and its breeding ground: the language of Nazism.''Trade ReviewIt is obscene, in a sense, to relate Klemperer's situation to any subsequent intellectual enquiry conducted unmolested by tyranny. But studies of language - whether social, political or aesthetic - owe him a debt. They implicitly gesture towards his act of witness, and towards others like it. * Times Higher Educational *This book is an honest narrative of hope and oppression, touching in places and well written, in an accessible translation. -- M. Aaij * CHOICE *This book is a breathtaking balancing act, by turns horrifying and heroic, saddening and sardonic [...] of major historical importance and grippingly well-written -- Philip Riley, Book Review for The International Journal of Applied LinguisticsThis important, stimulating and necessary book should be required reading for all who want to understand what politicians are doing to us today ... it is full of anecdotes and details that illustrate the effect of the changes in language ... This is a vital book. -- Eric Hester, Catholic Times, April 2007On the basis of his painstaking ethical-linguistic examinations, Klemperer is one of the most valuable witnesses to the methods of totalitarian mental corruption. The lasting message of this book is one of constant vigilance: wherever the machinery of atrocity is in motion, the misuse of language will be supporting it. -- TImes Higher Educational, 17 June 10Equal parts linguistic analysis and survivor’s memoir, Victor Klemperer’s The Language of The Third Reich (LTI) is noteworthy for its insight, intelligence, clarity, and even caustic humor … LTI is also a book that, given its author’s travails, is remarkably absent of bitterness. Though a victim, Klemperer does not write as a victim but rather as a once-captive though now-distant (even with the space of one year) observer to a language simultaneously terrifying and spellbinding. A Dresden Jew who had lived through the dark night of the Third Reich, Klemperer writes about his oppression with cool subjectivity. Yet in his cool subjectivity, Klemperer does not leave Nazism unscathed. * Rhetoric & Public Affairs *Table of ContentsHeroism (Instead of an Introduction) \ 1. LTI \ 2. Prelude \3. Distinguishing Feature: Poverty \ 4. Partenau \ 5. From the Diary of theFirst Year \ 6. The First Three Words of the Nazi Language \ 7. Aufziehen \ 8. Ten Years of Fascism \ 9.Fanatical \ 10. Autocthonous Writing \ 11. Blurring Boundaries \ 12.Punctuation \ 13. Names \ 14. Kohlenklau\ 15. Knif \ 16. On a Single Working Day \ 17. 'System' and 'Organisation' \ 18. I Believe In Him \ 19. Personal Announcementsas an LTI Revision Book \ 20. What Remains? \ 21. German Roots \ 22. A Sunny Weltanschauung (Chance Discoveries WhileReading) \ 23. If Two People Do the Same Thing... \ 24. Café Europa \ 25. TheStar \ 26. The Jewish War \ 27. The Jewish Spectacles \ 28. The Language of theVictor \ 29. Zion \ 30. The Curse of the Superlative \ 31. From the GreatMovement Forward... \ 32. Boxing \ 33. Gefolgschaft \ 34. The One Syllable \ 35.Running Hot and Cold \ 36. Putting the Theory to the Test \ ''Cos of Certain Expressions' (AnAfterword) \ Index.

    2 in stock

    £19.99

  • May We Borrow Your Language?: How English Steals

    Bloomsbury Publishing PLC May We Borrow Your Language?: How English Steals

    3 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe English language that is spoken by one billion people around the world is a linguistic mongrel, its vocabulary a diverse mix resulting from centuries of borrowing from other tongues. From the Celtic languages of pre-Roman Britain to Norman French; from the Vikings' Old Scandinavian to Persian, Arawak, Cantonese, Hawaiian, Hebrew, Inuit and Erdu – amongst a host of others – we have enriched our modern language with such words as tulip, slogan, doolally, avocado, moccasin, ketchup and ukulele. May We Borrow Your Language? explores the intriguing and unfamiliar stories behind scores of familiar words that the English language has filched from abroad; in so doing, it also sheds fascinating light on the wider history of the development of the English we speak today. Full of etymological nuggets to intrigue and delight the reader, this is a gift book for word buffs to cherish – as cerebrally stimulating as it is more-ishly entertaining.Trade ReviewWritten with wit and aplomb as he reveals the history and details on words as diverse as cwen, lust, delphinan and bathos... It is a worthy addition for anyone with an etymological collection of books, and if you like Mark Forsyth this is right up your street' -- Half Man, Half Book BlogEngrossing... hugely informative and fun' * Nudge Book *

    3 in stock

    £7.59

  • Rewriting Language: How Literary Texts Can

    UCL Press Rewriting Language: How Literary Texts Can

    3 in stock

    Book SynopsisRewriting Language explores how literary texts can promote more inclusive language use.

    3 in stock

    £18.00

  • Grammatical Profiles: Further Languages of LARSP

    Multilingual Matters Grammatical Profiles: Further Languages of LARSP

    3 in stock

    Book SynopsisThis book brings together 12 previously unpublished language profiles based on the original Language Assessment, Remediation and Screening Procedure (LARSP). The languages featured are: Bangla, Croatian, Colombian Spanish, Inuktitut, Norwegian, Portuguese, Russian, Slovak, Slovenian, Swahili, Tamil and Turkish. Some of these languages are included as they are likely to be encountered as home languages of clients by speech-language therapists and pathologists working in the UK, the US, Australia and elsewhere. Others are included because they are languages found where speech-language pathology services are provided, but where no grammatical profile already exists. The collection will be an invaluable resource book for speech-language pathologists who wish to analyse and assess the grammatical abilities of their clients who speak one of these languages. This new collection complements previous books in this series on the same theme and together they cover 34 languages of the world.Trade ReviewLARSP is the gift that keeps on giving for those who want to perform linguistically informed language assessments. The third installment is a welcome addition to the already existing LARSP versions, covering languages from Russian to Swahili with a truly global reach, representing different continents, and including mother tongues from different linguistic branches. * Ferenc Bunta, The University of Houston, USA *This unique book forms a significant contribution to the literature and will be appreciated by a wide readership. It is a valuable resource to clinicians, researchers and students in the field of language development and disorders. It covers various languages and children with diverse linguistic profiles. The book provides much-needed information for clinical assessment and diagnosis. * Sari Kunnari, University of Oulu, Finland *Table of ContentsIntroduction: Martin J. Ball, Paul Fletcher and David Crystal Chapter 1. Ingeborg Sophie Ribu, Hanne Gram Simonsen, Morten Aase Løver, Bror-Magnus Sviland Strand and Kristian Emil Kristoffersen: N-LARSP: A Developmental Language Profile for Norwegian Chapter 2. N. Gabriela Moffatt and Nicole Müller: Developing a Linguistic Profile for Russian Chapter 3. Svetlana Kapalková and Daniela Slančová: Language Assessment, Remediation, and Screening Procedure for Slovak-speaking Children Chapter 4. Vesna Mildner, Vesna Stojanovik and Diana Tomić: Croatian LARSP Chapter 5. Darija Skubic, Ana Praprotnik, Tamara Sevšek and Martina Ozbič, with Jerneja Novšak Brce and Damjana Kogovšek: Slovenian LARSP Chapter 6. Ana Castro, Carolina Marques and Catarina Dôro: LARSP-PE: A Developmental Language Profile for European Portuguese-speaking children Chapter 7. Maryluz Camargo-Mendoza, Ana Isabel Codesido-García and Elena Garayzábal- Heinze: CS-LARSP: Colombian Spanish Morphosyntactic Development Profile Chapter 8. Asifa Sultana, Stephanie Stokes, Thomas Klee & Paul Fletcher: Towards a Micro-profile of Bangla Verb Inflection Chapter 9. Özlem Cangökçe Yaşar and Seyhun Topbaş: Adapting LARSP to Turkish: TR-LARSP Part II Chapter 10. R. Lalitha Raja: T-LARSP: A Grammatical Profile for Tamil Chapter 11. Kamil Ud Deen: The Assessment of the Acquisition of Swahili: Towards the S-LARSP Chapter 12. Shanley E. M. Allen, Catherine B. Dench and Kerry Isakson: InuLARSP: An Adaptation of the Language Assessment, Remediation, and Screening Procedure for Inuktitut

    3 in stock

    £107.96

  • The Wordhord: Daily Life in Old English

    Profile Books Ltd The Wordhord: Daily Life in Old English

    Book SynopsisAn entertaining collection of strange, delightful and unexpectedly apt words from the origins of English, which illuminates the lives, beliefs and habits of our linguistic ancestors. 'A marvelous book' Neil Gaiman 'Wonderful' - Tom Holland 'A lovely, lovely read' - Lucy Mangan 'Splendid' - David Crystal 'Thorough, entertaining, and absolutely fascinating.' Paul Anthony Jones, Haggard Hawks In this beautiful little book, Hana Videen has gathered gems of words together to create a glorious trove and illuminate the lives, beliefs and habits of our linguistic ancestors. We discover a world where choking on a bit of bread might prove your guilt, where fiend-ship was as likely as friend-ship, and you might grow up to be a laughter-smith. These are the magical roots of our own language: you'll never see English in the same way again.Trade ReviewA wonderful book heaving with linguistic treasure, a joyfully clever exploration of early medieval life. -- Edward Brooke-Hitching author * The Madman's Library *Wonderful -- Tom HollandA lovely, lovely read * Lucy Mangan *Splendid -- David CrystalThorough, entertaining, and absolutely fascinating. -- Paul Anthony Jones * Haggard Hawks *Eminently giftable ... A book to be dipped in and out of for the riddles and enjoyable factoids -- James Marriott * The Times *Splendid ... It is the perfect way to be introduced to Old English. There is insight on every page, in a beautifully clear and down to-earth style, with lovely humorous asides. -- David CrystalA rich meditation on words, a thoughtful cultural history and a delicious box of delights to dip into during stolen moments. I loved this book-and learnt more from it than from any number of solemn language primers. Hana Videen has created a marvel. -- Nicola Griffith, author of 'Hild'A lively linguistic history * BBC History Magazine *Brilliant. So rich with detail. If you're at all interested in Old English you'll love it. -- History Today * Kate Wiles, senior editor *Thorough, entertaining, and absolutely fascinating. If you're interested in Old English (and for that matter, even if you're not!) it's an absolute treat. -- Paul Anthony Jones * Haggard Hawks *A wonderful book that blends linguistics with a survey of everyday life in early Medieval England. If you want to know why music was known as dream-craeft, what was meant by sawel-dreor - 'soul blood' - or the origins of our days of the week, then this is for you. It constitutes a veritable leornung-hus, or 'learning house'' -- Tom Holland * BBC History Magazine *Delightful ... [Videen's] etymological journeys [are] full of satisfying twists ... the book is released in time for Christmas wassailing, and would make a classy gift to the commonly word-drunk ... it's a pleasure just to be reminded of [early Medieval people's] world-craft. -- Steven Poole * Guardian *A treasure trove of forgotten words, their meanings and origins, written with insight and humour, and beautifully designed -- Marshall JuliusWritten in a conversational style that playfully uncovers the meaning of words and their cultural context, [Wordhord] will appeal to all lovers of language and ... serve as an excellent companion to students of Old English literature. Videen unlocks a treasure chest of ancient English ... the result is an accessible, erudite study -- Outstanding Academic Title of the Year * Choice *This book is a treasure trove... [Videen] is a stunning and gifted word detective and writes of her investigations with nimble prose.... At the end [of The Wordhord] you feel the way that you feel when you come to the end of a Sherlock Holmes tale. * Leaf by Leaf *

    £9.49

  • Old English Dictionary: The English language as

    The Choir Press Old English Dictionary: The English language as

    20 in stock

    Book SynopsisThis dictionary is an invaluable reference for anyone with an interest in the earliest form of the English language (i.e. the form of English spoken from around 700 AD until 1100 AD). Includes listings from Old English to Modern English (over 5,500 entries) and from Modern English to Old English (over 3,900 entries), along with a grammar section, a list of place names in Old English, numbers and the calendar, and the likely pronunciation of Old English words.Table of ContentsPreface to 2nd edition Abbreviations used in this dictionary The Alphabet Pronunciation Relation to other languages Grammar Nouns Adjectives Adverbs Pronouns Interrogative pronouns: hwa ('who')/hwaet ('what') Hwaether ('which of two') Hwilc ('which') 'The'/'that' 'This' Strong verbs Weak verbs Preterite-present verbs i-mutation Bibliography Place names Britain Countries and Continents Cardinal numbers and the calendar AEnglisc - English English - AEnglisc

    20 in stock

    £11.99

  • Outline of Classical Chinese Grammar

    University of British Columbia Press Outline of Classical Chinese Grammar

    7 in stock

    Book SynopsisA comprehensive introduction to the syntactical analysis of classical Chinese.Trade ReviewBy any measure the most important book-length work on Classical Chinese grammar to have appeared in a Western language since Gabelentz's comprehensive grammar of more than a century ago ... a very sophisticated and scholarly treatment of Classical Chinese grammar, it is all the same entirely appropriate for even a beginning-level class. -- William G. Boltz * Journal of Asian Studies *Finally there is a comprehensive grammar of Wenyan in English. Here in one volume one has handy the major grammar references needed to approach Classical Chinese texts. This useful book is the first comprehensive treatment of the grammar of the ancient form of Chinese used by the great philosophers like Confucius and Mencius.... useful to all students of Classical Chinese language and philosophy. * Wordtrade *Table of ContentsPrefaceAbbreviationsI. IntroductionII. Some Basic Principles of Classical Chinese SyntaxIII. Noun Predication IV. Verbal PredicatesV. Compound Verbal PredicatesVI. Numerical ExpressionsVII. Noun Phrases and NominalizationVIII. Topicalization and ExposureIX. Pronouns and Related WordsX. AdverbsXI. NegationXII. Aspect, Time, and MoodXIII. Adnominal and Adverbial Words of Inclusion and RestrictionXIV. Imperative, Interrogative and Exclamatory SentencesXV. Complex SentencesNotesSources of ExamplesBibliographyIndex of Chinese VocabularyItemsGeneral Index

    7 in stock

    £39.60

  • The Language of Lies

    Cornerstone The Language of Lies

    3 in stock

    a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

    3 in stock

    £15.29

  • Scribblers Sculptors and Scribes

    HarperCollins Publishers Inc Scribblers Sculptors and Scribes

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisFrom one of the country?s leading Latinists, this reader is the perfect complement to any Latin program, and the first collection of entirely authentic classical Latin texts that beginning students, from the very first day of their introduction to Latin, can read and enjoy. Beginning with simple graffiti,Scribblers, Sculptors, and Scribesmoves toward longer inscriptions and literary texts as students progress. Designed to accompany the bestsellingWheelock?scurriculum, its 40 chapters are linked with the 40 chapters ofWheelock?s Latin, but the book?s readings and design features make it suitable for use alongside any introductory college or high-school Latin textbook. Packed with hundreds of actual Latin inscriptions, proverbs, and texts, this outstanding textbook also includes dozens of photos and illustrations, maps, discussion and comprehension questions, grammar capsules, a Latin?English vocabulary section, a summary of forms, and much more.

    2 in stock

    £11.69

  • The Emergence of Standard English

    University Press of Kentucky The Emergence of Standard English

    2 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    2 in stock

    £21.85

  • The Journal of Philology Volume 8 Cambridge Library Collection  Classic Journals

    Cambridge University Press The Journal of Philology Volume 8 Cambridge Library Collection Classic Journals

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisFounded in 1868 by the Cambridge scholars John Eyton Bickersteth Mayor (1825â1910), William George Clark (1821â78), and William Aldis Wright (1831â1914), this biannual journal was a successor to The Journal of Classical and Sacred Philology (also reissued in the Cambridge Library Collection). Unlike its short-lived precursor, it survived for more than half a century, until 1920, spanning the period in which specialised academic journals developed from more general literary reviews. Predominantly classical in subject matter, with contributions from such scholars as J. P. Postgate, Robinson Ellis and A. E. Housman, the journal also contains articles on historical and literary themes across the 35 volumes, illuminating the growth and scope of philology as a discipline during this period. Volume 8, comprising issues 15 and 16, was published in 1879.Table of ContentsHow were the bodies of criminals at Athens disposed of after death?; Upon notices of army-surgeons in ancient Greek warfare; 'Shall' and 'should' in protasis, and their Greek equivalents; Lucretius' proemium and Epicurean theology; Notes on the Aeneid; An interpretation of Is. lii, 15; A word on Lucilius; On the Dirae; On some passages in the Medea of Euripides; On some peculiarities in the use of the future participles of Greek verbs; On Choephoroe 472–3; On the MS of Sophocles in the library of Trinity College, Cambridge; The Antigone of Sophocles; Note on Odyssey V, 368; Note on Xenophon's Hellenics, I.c.VII; On the word 'bougaios' and the prefix 'bou-'; Some new Latin fragments; Judges and litigants; On early Greek written literature; Some further observations on ancient theories of causation; William George Clark; Notes on Aristophanes Acharnians 1–578; Another word on Lucilius; On the Aegritudo Perdicae; On the Pro Cluentio of Cicero; Tone and other characteristics of Chinese; On licentia poetica; On hemina sanguinis in Seneca and Jerome; On condicio and conditio; On the date and integrity of a letter ascribed to D. Brutus; Juvenal X. 54, 55; Adfectus and adfictus; The number of Plato; On the genuineness of the 'Sophist' of Plato, and on some of its philosophical bearings; Princeps or princeps senatus?; Catullus' 68th poem.

    2 in stock

    £27.99

  • Language in Louisiana

    University Press of Mississippi Language in Louisiana

    Book SynopsisContributions by Lisa Abney, Patricia Anderson, Albert Camp, Katie Carmichael, Christina Schoux Casey, Nathalie Dajko, Jeffery U. Darensbourg, Dorian Dorado, Connie Eble, Daniel W. Hieber, David Kaufman, Geoffrey Kimball, Thomas A. Klingler, Bertney Langley, Linda Langley, Shane Lief, Tamara Lindner, Judith M. Maxwell, Rafael Orozco, Allison Truitt, Shana Walton, and Robin WhiteLouisiana is often presented as a bastion of French culture and language in an otherwise English environment. The continued presence of French in south Louisiana and the struggle against the language's demise have given the state an aura of exoticism and at the same time have strained serious focus on that language. Historically, however, the state has always boasted a multicultural, polyglot population. From the scores of indigenous languages used at the time of European contact to the importation of African and European languages during the colonial period to the modern invasion of English and th

    £24.71

  • AzarHagen Grammar  AE  5th Edition  Workbook

    Pearson Education (US) AzarHagen Grammar AE 5th Edition Workbook

    2 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    2 in stock

    £26.02

  • A History of German What the Past Reveals about

    Oxford University Press A History of German What the Past Reveals about

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisThis textbook provides a detailed introduction to the development of the German language from prehistory to the present. This second edition has been extensively revised to include coverage of syntactic change, sociolinguistics, language variation, and language contact, as well as more detailed definitions and background information for beginners.Trade ReviewReview from previous edition Joseph Salmons has produced a brilliant and challenging book that is already spurring fruitful discussion and collaboration. This project will give students a real sense of our dynamic field, with its lively debates and intriguing open questions. For many students, Salmonss book and website will be their first taste of Germanic historical linguistics and perhaps their first exposure to linguistics of any kind. It will not be long before many young colleagues start telling us that what first turned them on to the serious study of language was A History of German. * David Fertig. Language, 07/07/14 *an insightful, informative, and inspiring work of scholarship ... A History of German is a major contribution to the fields of historical Germanic linguistics and historical linguistics in general, and it will certainly be useful to readers for many years to come. * John D. Sundquist, Journal of Germanic Linguistics 05/06/15 *The book had its origin in material prepared for university courses, and the authors enthusiasm for the subject, his estimable command of current research, and his desire to communicate it to students are evident throughout. * Martin Durrell, The Modern Language Review 16/04/2014 *I strongly recommend this book to everybody interested in learning and/or teaching the history of German. * Barbara Schlücker, Morphology 18/09/13 *a most welcome addition to the existing literature on the history of the German language ... a joy to read ... an excellent volume. * Tonya Kim Dewey, Beitraege zur Geschichte der deutschen Sprache und Literatur 12/06/15 *Table of Contents1: Introduction: aims and scope 2: The depths of prehistory: up to Indo-European 3: The dawn of history: Germanic up to the earliest direct attestation 4: From Germanic to Old High German: early textual evidence 5: Middle High German: the High Middle Ages 6: Early New High German: richer structural evidence and socio-historical context 7: New High German: recent and ongoing change 8: Conclusion: interpreting the significance of the past for us References

    2 in stock

    £27.49

  • An Introduction to Middle High German

    Oxford University Press An Introduction to Middle High German

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisAn Introduction to Middle High German is a dedicated student edition of The Oxford Guide to Middle High German (Jones & Jones; OUP, 2019) designed for taught courses and self-study. It offers a detailed account of the language and literature of German in the period 1050-1350, including an introductory-level grammar and a wide selection of texts with extensive explanatory material.Following an initial chapter that defines Middle High German linguistically, geographically, and chronologically, the grammar and lexis chapters offer a self-contained introduction to the language. The user-friendly and accessible grammatical descriptions and explanations will allow entry-level students to gain sufficient knowledge of the language to read and understand a range of Middle High German texts. Chapter 4 comprises thirty textual passages, each placed in context and with extensive explanatory footnotes to facilitate their use in teaching and class discussion. The volume also offers two essential glo

    2 in stock

    £42.75

  • Languages

    Oxford University Press Languages

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisHow many languages are there? What differentiates one language from another? Are new languages still being discovered? Why are so many languages disappearing? The diversity of languages today is varied, but it is steadily declining. In this Very Short Introduction, Stephen Anderson answers the above questions by looking at the science behind languages. Considering a wide range of different languages and linguistic examples, he demonstrates how languages are not uniformly distributed around the world; just as some places are more diverse than others in terms of plants and animal species, the same goes for the distribution of languages. Exploring the basis for linguistic classification and raising questions about how we identify a language, as well as considering signed languages as well as spoken, Anderson examines the wider social issues of losing languages, and their impact in terms of the endangerment of cultures and peoples. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Table of Contents1. Introduction: dimensions of linguistic diversity ; 2. How many languages are there in the world? ; 3. Phylogenetic linguistics: establishing linguistic relationships ; 4. The future of languages ; 5. Some problems in the counting of languages ; 6. The genotypes of languages ; 7. The diversity of signed languages ; 8. Conclusion: the unity of human language ; References ; Further reading

    2 in stock

    £9.49

  • The Oxford Guide to Etymology

    Oxford University Press The Oxford Guide to Etymology

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe best introduction to word history ever published combines scholarship with readability. OED's chief etymologist shows how words originate and change. He explores the histories of place and personal names and explains how to use different kinds of evidence, historical as well as linguistic. This is a book for everyone interested in words.Trade ReviewThis is an immaculate work in every sense, proudly flying the banners of authority and of hegemony ... a galazy of fascinating examples ... a brilliant, addictive work indispensable for school and academic libraries at all levels, and for all with any interest in words and the enchanted patterns they weave. * H. G. A. Hughes, Reference Reviews *a very readable, informative, content-packed introduction for the beginner; for the initiated it provides an incentive to ponder the many open questions presented. As such it can be unreservedly recommended. * Elmar Seebold, Anglia *Our strong expectations of The Oxford Guide to Etymology are fully realized * Nicoline van der Sijs, Nederlandse Taalkunde *Very much to be welcomed * Paul T. Roberge, English Language and Linguistics *Table of ContentsAbout this book ; 1. Introduction ; 2. What is a Word? Which Words Need Etymologies? ; 3. Are Words Coherent Entities? ; 4. Word Formation ; 5. Lexical Borrowing ; 6. The Mechanisms of Borrowing ; 7. Change in Word Form ; 8. Semantic Change ; 9. Etymology and Names ; 10. Conclusion ; Glossary ; Suggested for Further Reading ; References ; General Index ; Index of Word Forms

    1 in stock

    £26.99

  • The Cambridge Handbook of Language Contact

    Cambridge University Press The Cambridge Handbook of Language Contact

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisLanguage contact - the linguistic and social outcomes of two or more languages coming into contact with each other - starts with the emergence of multilingual populations. Multilingualism involving plurilingualism can have various consequences beyond borrowing, interference, and code-mixing and -switching, including the emergence of lingua francas and new language varieties, as well as language endangerment and loss. Bringing together contributions from an international team of scholars, this Handbook - the second in a two-volume set - engages the reader with the manifold aspects of multilingualism and provides state-of-the-art research on the impact of population structure on language contact. It begins with an introduction that presents the history of the scholarship on the subject matter. The chapters then cover various processes and theoretical issues associated with multilingualism embedded in specific population structures worldwide as well as their outcomes. It is essential reading for anybody interested in how people behave linguistically in multilingual or multilectal settings.

    2 in stock

    £39.89

  • Genes Brains Evolution and Language

    Cambridge University Press Genes Brains Evolution and Language

    2 in stock

    2 in stock

    £36.10

  • Linguistics: Why It Matters

    John Wiley and Sons Ltd Linguistics: Why It Matters

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisLanguage is the medium in which we humans compose our thoughts, explain our thinking, construct our arguments, and create works of literature. Without language, societies as complex as ours could not exist. Geoffrey Pullum offers a stimulating introduction to the many ways in which linguistics, as the scientific study of language, matters. With its close relationships to psychology, education, philosophy, and computer science, the subject has a compelling human story to tell about the ways in which different societies see and describe the world, and its far-reaching applications range from law to medicine and from developmental psychology to artificial intelligence. Introducing Polity’s Why It Matters series: In these short and lively books, world-leading thinkers make the case for the importance of their subjects and aim to inspire a new generation of students.Trade Review"An approachable, fascinating resource for those interested in the mechanics of words." —​The Guardian "[A] fascinating, beautifully written and highly accessible exposition of why the science of language matters. Strongly recommend it."—Oliver Kamm, columnist for The Times of London "Geoff Pullum, tart and cosmopolitan as always, has at last given the world the handiest possible remedy for idea that what's interesting about language is snippy rules about where prepositions shouldn't be, that different languages make you think in different ways, or that Siri actually understands us. Linguistics is fascinating far beyond these myths and this book will show you why in a quick coffee-cup read.'—John McWhorter, Columbia University "Geoff Pullum among our greatest living linguists, with a deep appreciation of the richness of language and the elegance of linguistic theory. He is also one of the finest stylists writing today, and presents ideas with dazzling clarity and wit. No one is better equipped to explain linguistics and why it matters."—Steve Pinker, Johnstone Professor of Psychology, Harvard University, and the author of The Language Instinct and How the Mind Works "Hard to put down and infinitely informative ... Pullum's book has the feel of a casual conversation with a personable and knowledgeable companion."—CHOICETable of ContentsPreface Chapter 1: What Makes Us Human Chapter 2: How Sentences Work Chapter 3: Words, Meaning and Thought Chapter 4: Language and Social Life Chapter 5: Machines That Understand Us Conclusion Notes on Further Reading

    2 in stock

    £9.99

  • A Place For Everything: The Curious History of

    Pan Macmillan A Place For Everything: The Curious History of

    2 in stock

    Book Synopsis'A delightfully quirky sturdy . . . [Flanders] is a meticulour historian with a taste for the offbeat; the story of the alphabet suits her well . . . Fascinating.' Sunday TimesOnce we've learned it as children, few of us think much of the alphabet and its familiar sing-song order. And yet the order of the alphabet continues to play a major role in our adult lives. From school registers to electoral rolls, from dictionaries and encyclopaedias to library shelves, our lives have been ordered from A to Z. Long before Google searches, this magical system of organization gave us the ability to sort through centuries of thought, knowledge and literature, allowing us to sift, file, and find the information we have, and to locate the information we need.In A Place for Everything, acclaimed historian Judith Flanders fascinatingly lays out the gradual triumph of alphabetical order, from its use as a sorting tool in the Great Library of Alexandria to its current decline in prominence in the digital age. Along the way, the reader encounters a wonderful cast of characters,from the great collector Robert Cotton, who catalogued his manuscripts by the names of the busts of the Roman emperors surmounting his book cases, to the unassuming sixteenth-century London bookseller who ushered in a revolution by listing his authors by 'sirname' first.'One of the many fascinations of Judith Flanders' book is that it reveals what a weird, unlikely creation the alphabet is.' GuardianTrade ReviewMarvellous . . . I read it with astonished delight . . . It is equally scholarly and entertaining. -- Jan MorrisQuirky and compelling . . . She is a meticulous historian with a taste for the offbeat; the story of the alphabet suits her well . . . Fascinating. -- Dan Jones * Sunday Times *A library and academic essential. -- Libby Purves * The Times *One of the many fascinations of Judith Flanders’s book is that it reveals what a weird, unlikely creation the alphabet is. -- Joe Moran * Guardian *Judith Flanders’s A Place for Everything presents itself as a history of alphabetical order, but in fact it is more than that. Rather, as the title suggests, it offers something like a general history of the various ways humans have sorted and filed the world around them – a Collison –level view of the matter, in which alphabetical order is just one system among many.’ -- Dennis Duncan * The Spectator *Judith Flanders has a knack for making odd subjects accessible . . . In A Place for Everything, the popular historian paints alphabetisation as one of our most radical acts. . . Flanders retains a sense of fun . . . finds contemporary resonance in humanity's search for order. * i *Praise for Judith Flanders' previous book, Christmas: A Biography: 'A catalogue of colourful information, and as surprising an assortment of items as any you might find heaped up under a tree.' -- Lucy Hughes-Hallett * Observer *A well-researched account. There are more footnotes here than there are presents under a Rockefeller Christmas tree. Indeed, the book is stuffed with facts – enough to satiate even the most ravenous postprandial taste for quizzing. * Sunday Times *[An] entertaining biography . . . Following the fine tradition of light entertainment Christmas books, Judith Flanders provides lots of trivia . . . However, there is much more to it than that. Flanders is a respected social historian, best known for studies on Victorian life, and the strength of this warm book lies in its quiet erudition. * The Times *Judith Flanders . . . likes Christmas (I think), but she loves reality and its awkward, amusing facts. (A previous book of hers, Inside the Victorian Home, is deep, bright and encompassing.) * New York Times *The non-fiction I most enjoyed . . . an excellent subject, carried out with exemplary care and authority. -- Philip Hensher * Spectator *

    2 in stock

    £13.21

  • Quid Pro Quo: What the Romans Really Gave the

    Atlantic Books Quid Pro Quo: What the Romans Really Gave the

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisDid you know that the word 'prestige' derives from the Latin word for 'illusion'? Or that 'infantry' stems from a Latin word meaning one who could not speak? In this original and highly entertaining book, Peter Jones reveals the roots of Latin words that are now common in the English language and shows how Romans actually used them in the ancient world. Covering every aspect of Roman life - from politics, philosophy, religion and the arts, to technology, warfare, medicine and botany - Quid Pro Quo highlights the vital role Latin has played in the creation of our vast vocabulary.Trade ReviewWhat did the Romans ever do for us? Well, besides the sanitation, the roads, etc, they left us Latin, and in this wonderfully informative survey, Peter Jones guides us through the ways in which their language has percolated through our own. Jones wears his learning lightly and there's an arresting insight or a fascinating historical anecdote on every page. * Mail on Sunday *Wonderfully enteratining * Spectator *

    2 in stock

    £10.44

  • Writing Around the Ancient Mediterranean:

    Oxbow Books Writing Around the Ancient Mediterranean:

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisWriting in the ancient Mediterranean existed against a backdrop of very high levels of interaction and contact. In the societies around its shores, writing was a dynamic practice that could serve many purposes – from a tool used by elites to control resources and establish their power bases to a symbol of local identity and a means of conveying complex information and ideas.This volume brings together contributions by members of the Contexts of and Relations between Early Writing Systems (CREWS) research team and visiting fellows, offering a range of different perspectives and approaches to problems of writing in the ancient Mediterranean. Their focus is on practices, viewing writing as something that people do within a wider social and cultural context, and on adaptations, considering the ways in which writing changed and was changed by the people using it.Trade Review[T]his volume, as a contribution to the research output of the CREWS project, encapsulates how the research of the CREWS core team and wider family has revolved around questions of the contexts and relatedness of writing systems and traditions * New Testament Abstracts *Table of ContentsApproaches to writing in the ancient Mediterranean and Near East Philippa M. Steele Relations between script, writing material and layout: the case of the Anatolian Hieroglyphs Willemijn Waal Word division in Sicilian inscriptions Robert Crellin What is an Alphabet good for? Csaba La’da Measuring particularity and similarity in archaic Greek alphabets with NLP Natalia Elvira Astoreca Borrowing, invention, remodelling: Observations on the rare letters of the Phrygian alphabet and the problem of formation of Anatolian alphabets Rostislav Oreshko Cypro-Minoan and its potmarks and vessel inscriptions as challenges to Aegean Scripts corpora Cassandra Donnelly Ductus in Cypro-Minoan writing. Definition, purpose and distribution of stroke types Martina Polig The introduction of the Greek alphabet in Cyprus, a case study in material culture Beatrice Pestarino The death of alphabets at the end of the Bronze Age. How does the Deir ‘Alla alphabet fit the picture? Michel de Vreeze Early Egyptian writing from the perspective of the embodied practitioner Kathryn Piquette The magic of writing Philip J. Boyes

    2 in stock

    £45.00

  • Unlocking Scots

    Luath Press Ltd Unlocking Scots

    2 in stock

    a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

    2 in stock

    £15.29

  • Language CounterMemory Practice

    Cornell University Press Language CounterMemory Practice

    4 in stock

    Book SynopsisTable of ContentsIntroduction 1. Peasant Status and the Meanings of Serfdom 2. Peasants, Property, and Payments 3. Peasants, Religion, and the Church 4. Peasants, New Towns, and Communes 5. Peasant Agency Conclusion

    4 in stock

    £23.74

  • Time and Language

    University of Hawai'i Press Time and Language

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisPresenting a host of in-depth case studies, Time and Language: New Sinology and Chinese History argues for and demonstrates the significance of ‘New Sinology’ by restoring the role of language/philology in the research and understanding of how modern China emerged.Trade ReviewThis is a richly researched and intelligently argued collection of studies that highlight a key methodological and interpretive issue in China studies and provides a considerable empirical detail that makes their point. The volume delivers on the promise of the editors to bring language/philology back in—to argue for and demonstrate the significance of "New Sinology": the careful attention to historical language and knowledge in texts both contemporary and earlier to illuminate the power of cultural habitus as well as conscious practice over time as expressed in the written version of Austin’s speech acts. These studies show that the tools of traditional Sinology, with a focus on linguistic and philological expertise, can and do contribute meaningfully to our understanding of the genesis and experience of modern China." - Timothy Cheek, The University of British Columbia

    1 in stock

    £22.36

  • Oxford University Press Song Beyond the Nation

    Book SynopsisWithin classical music, much writing on the Western song tradition since 1800 has assumed a direct link between musical cultures and national literatures, and song has typically been interpreted as one of the means by which constructions of nationalism and nationhood have been pursued in the cultural sphere. Yet song can also be a mobile and cosmopolitan genre and form of cultural practice, able - through performance, publication, and translation - to cross boundaries between cultures and languages. This volume brings together musicologists, literary scholars, linguists, and cultural historians to examine the ways in which song creation, practice, and interpretation has been defined by, and in turn defines, conceptions of nationalism and the transnational. It focuses on four key poets - the Persian Hafiz, German Heine, American Whitman, and French Verlaine - and examines how their poems have been ''translated'' into song, and how music can challenge the seemingly organic relationship bTable of ContentsINTRODUCTION Philip Ross Bullock and Laura Tunbridge: 'L'invitation au voyage' HAFIZ 1: Natasha Loges: Hafiz between Nations: Song Settings by Daumer/Brahms and Peacock/Beamish 2: Stephen Downes: Szymanowski, a Hafiz 'Grablied', and the 'translation' of Nietzsche 3: Philip Ross Bullock: The German Roots of Russian Orientalism: Hafiz's Poetry in Early Twentieth-Century Russian Song HEINE 4: Suzannah Clark: Traces of Tourism and Transnationalism in Liszt's Heine Settings 5: Benjamin Binder: Performance Matters in Heine: The Case of Pauline Viardot's 'Das ist ein schlechtes Wetter' 6: Laura Tunbridge: 'Once again...speaking of' Heine, in Song VERLAINE 7: Peter Dayan: Why song in Verlaine's Verse is Always Already Beyond the Nation 8: David Evans: French Impressions: The Transnational Afterlives of Verlaine's 'La Lune blanche' in Song 9: Carlo Caballero: Paul Verlaine in Parallel: Loeffler, Fauré, Debussy 10: Helen Abbott: Song Just Beyond the Nation, or Debussy via Verlaine WHITMAN 11: Jennifer Ronyak: Johanna Müller-Hermann's Lied der Erinnerung: Austria, America, and Beyond 12: Lawrence Kramer: The Émigré Walt Whitman: Songs of Mourning, 1943-48 13: Elizabeth Helsinger: A Song, the Sea, and a Listening Boy: Whitman - Swinburne - Delius 14: Emma Sutton: Whitman and Stevenson: Singing the Nation from Scotland to Samoa via Ohio and Hawai'i AfterwordTerence Cave:

    £85.50

  • A Myriad of Tongues

    Harvard University Press A Myriad of Tongues

    Book SynopsisExploring breakthroughs in language and cognition research, Caleb Everett finds that fundamentals of human perception are culturally encoded by the words and sentences we use. The experience of time, space, color, odor, and taste is substantially influenced by language, so that basic interactions with the world vary greatly across peoples.Trade ReviewIn the Amazonian region of Brazil, where anthropologist Caleb Everett spent much of his childhood, speakers of Tupi-Kawahíb never refer to time ‘passing by.’ Indeed, the language has no word for ‘time.’ By contrast, most European languages have few abstract words for odours, whereas languages in a number of other cultures have more than a dozen. Everett’s fascinating book—based on collaboration with biologists, chemists, political scientists and engineers—ponders such differences between the world’s 7,000-plus languages. -- Andrew Robinson * Nature *An assured guide to new thinking about how language shapes the way we see the world—at a time when thousands of languages are vanishing. -- Colin Barras * New Scientist *Historically, academics have looked for commonalities among languages and focused mainly on those used by Western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic (WEIRD) societies. But, Everett says, the tide is shifting…His book synthesizes his own and others’ research that brings in data from non-WEIRD languages and broadens our understanding of how words affect cognition, including how we process the concepts of time, space, color, and kinship. -- Lucy Swedberg * Harvard Business Review *Offers readers a tantalizing glimpse into the wide variety of human speech patterns evident in the world today. * Library Journal *An enlightening examination of human communication based on the findings of linguist fieldworkers—himself included—as well as researchers in areas such as cognitive psychology, data science, and respiratory medicine. * Kirkus Reviews *Everett relates complex linguistic discussions in accessible terms, and each page is full of thought-provoking insights. * Publishers Weekly (starred review) *Blending an ethnographer’s richness with an experimentalist’s clarity, Everett adroitly explains how what we’ve learned from data-driven studies of a myriad of tongues–from Amazonia and Africa to Australia and Austronesia–has dramatically shifted our understanding of the origins and nature of our species’ most salient ability: language. Far from being an isolated projection of innate psychology, languages evolve like other aspects of culture, adapting to our ecological contexts, social norms, acoustic environments, and cognitive inclinations. Languages also shape how speakers think, feel, and even perceive. With balance and breadth, this book offers an easy entry into a fascinating, though often ferocious, interdisciplinary field. -- Joe Henrich, author of The WEIRDest People in the World: How the West Became Psychologically Peculiar and Particularly ProsperousA marvelous tour of all that is amazing, perplexing, satisfying, and mysterious about languages and the humans who speak them. Everett combines up-to-date analyses with vivid descriptions of the diverse tools that humans use when they speak. His book drills down into deep mysteries but does so with a light hand, leading readers from one big question to the next. An essential read for anyone who wants to understand what we now know about language and how profoundly that understanding has recently evolved. -- Christine Kenneally, author of The Invisible History of the Human Race: How DNA and History Shape Our Identities and Our FuturesDo different languages create different experiences of the world? Everett offers up a wealth of nuanced insights on the state of the science to replace both the old exoticism and the lazy skepticism. This is an overdue and fascinating book. -- Gaston Dorren, author of Babel: Around the World in Twenty LanguagesA gift for language is a large part of what makes us human, but as Everett shows, that gift manifests itself in an astonishing spectrum of ways. As previous certainties about the structure of language erode and dissolve under pressure from new discoveries, researchers in many fields are finally grasping the importance of linguistic diversity. This is a careful yet deeply provocative work. -- Mark Abley, author of Spoken Here: Travels Among Threatened LanguagesThis book resoundingly demonstrates just how different languages can be and what those divergences reveal about us as a species. Based on both cutting-edge research and the author’s own experiences in the Amazon, where he grew up and conducted fieldwork, it will appeal to anyone who is interested in the science of language. -- Nick Evans, author of Words of Wonder: Endangered Languages and What They Tell Us

    £21.56

  • Language Capitalism Colonialism

    University of Toronto Press Language Capitalism Colonialism

    Book SynopsisHeller and McElhinny reinterpret sociolinguistics for the twenty-first century with an original approach to the study of language that is situated in the political and economic contexts of colonialism and capitalism. In the process, they map out a critical history of how language serves, and has served, as a terrain for producing and reproducing social inequalities. The authors ask how, and by whom, ideas about language get unevenly shaped, offering new perspectives that will excite readers and incite further research for years to come.Table of ContentsList of Figures Acknowledgements Preface: Hope Chapter 1: Language, Capitalism, Colonialism: Walking Backward into the Future 1.1 Language and Inequality: A Wary Approach to a Red Thread World 1.2 Red Flags: Keywords, Hegemonies, Ideologies, and Warty Genealogies 1.3 Language Out of Place 1.4 Knotted Histories: Following the Threads through the Book 1.5 The End of the Beginning PART I: LANGUAGE, INTIMACY, AND EMPIRE Chapter 2: Language and Imperialism I: Conversion and Kinship 2.1 "The First Nations Bible Translation Capacity-Building Initiative" 2.2 Colonialism, Imperialism, Postcolonialism, Decolonization 2.3 Intimacy and Connection Across Five Continents 2.4 Reduced to and by Christian Love: Missionary Linguistics 2.5 Family Trees, Comparative Philology and Secular Religion Chapter 3: Language and Imperialism II: Evolution, Hybridity, History 3.1 "Mixing Things Up" 3.2 Imperialism and Industrial Capitalism 3.3 Evolutionary Theory: Language and/as Race 3.4 Slavery, Plantation, Labour, Trade, and "Mixed" Languages 3.5 Americanist Anthropology: The Limits of Cultural Critiques of Evolutionary Racism American Modern: Assimilating Blackness, Disappearing Indigeneity American Primitive: Extracting Language 3.6 Linguistic Relativity, Colonial Ambivalence, and Modern Alienation PART II: THE CONTRADICTIONS OF LANGUAGE IN INDUSTRIAL CAPITALISM Chapter 4: Language and European Notions of Nation and State: 4.1 "Le Symbole" 4.2 The Emergence of the Nation-State in Europe 4.3 Markets and Liberal Democracy 4.4 Making Subjects Through Language Regimentation: Census, Standardization, Literacy Standardization: Grammars, Dictionaries, Canons, Pedagogies 4.5 Language and Differential Citizenship 4.6 Creating Peripheries 4.7 Regulating Relations in Industrial Capitalism 4.8 Making Scientific Linguistic Expertise Chapter 5: Internationalism, Communism, and Fascism: Alternative Modernities 5.1 "Visions of the Future" 5.2 Peace, Geopolitics, and International Auxiliary Languages 5.3 Making Communist Linguistics Marrism The Bakhtin Circle From Language as Action to Language as Tool in the Cold War 5.4. Language and Fascism National Socialism in Germany Language and Race: Yiddish and Esperanto Race, Propaganda, and Mass Media 5.5 Fault Lines PART III: BRAVE NEW WORLDS: LANGUAGE AS TECHNOLOGY, LANGUAGE AS TECHNIQUE Chapter 6: The Cold War: Surveillance, Structuralism, and Security 6.1 "Black Out" 6.2 Battles for Hearts and Minds 6.3 The Investigation of Linguists During the McCarthy Period 6.4 Suspicious Words, Suspicious Minds The Prague Linguistics Circle Fear of the Translator 6.5 Infrastructure and Institutionalization: Communication Studies, Area Studies, Linguistics, Applied Linguistics 6.6 Machine Translation and the Rise of Syntax Rational and Universal Principles for Linguistic Analysis: Late Structuralist Linguistics Freedom, Creativity, and Human Nature: The Rise of Generative Linguistics 6.7 Nineteen Eighty-Four as a Weapon of the Cold War Chapter 7: On the Origins of 'Sociolinguistics': Democracy, Development and Emancipation 7.1 "A Dialectologist in India" 7.2 Engineering Language: Literacy, Standardization, and Education 7.3 Language Policy and Planning: Technocratic Solutions 7.4 Domestic Development and American Sociolinguistics Challenging "Deficit": Three Approaches Fear of the Political 7.5 Challenging Consensus Feminist Linguistics Difference and Domination: Anti-Racist Critiques 7.6 Pidgins, Creoles, and New Nationalisms 7.7 The Rise of Sociolinguistics in Europe: Class and Conflict 7.8 The End of the Trente Glorieuses Chapter 8: Language in Late Capitalism: Intensifications, Unruly Desires, and Alternative Worlds 8.1 "Nayaano-nibii maang Gichigamiin" 8.2 Late Capitalism: The Expanding Reach of the Market and the Neoliberal State 8.3 Language, Inequality, and Ideology 8.4 Managing Your Assets: Language Quality, Linguistic Diversity, and Citizenship 8.5 Brave New Selves: "I am a Business, Man!" 8.6 Affect, Authenticity, and Embodiment 8.7 Recapturing the Commons 8.8 Reclamation, Redress, Refusal, and Reimagining 8.9 This is How We Hope References Index

    £33.30

  • HobsonJobson

    Oxford University Press HobsonJobson

    3 in stock

    Book SynopsisHobson-Jobson is a unique lexicon of British India. Part dictionary, part encyclopedia it shows how words of Indian origin entered the English language and offers insight into Victorian views of Asia and the way cultures transform one another. Quirky and entertaining, this selected edition includes a fascinating introduction and notes.Trade Review'Everyone interested in British India should have a copy.' * Andrew Robinson, The Independent *'Hobson-Jobson is a rare dictionary that can be read for pleasure' * Christopher Howse, Sunday Telegraph *'Teltscher's introduction to this new abridged edition is a model of scholarship and readability.' * Neel Mukherjee, Financial Times *

    3 in stock

    £8.54

  • KushCush and Cushitic

    Red Sea Press,U.S. KushCush and Cushitic

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisKush/Cush and Cushitic: Language, History, Race, and Religion offers a multifaceted examination of the term 'Kush/Cush' and its related concepts, drawing from historical, linguistic, and cultural perspectives. In the realm of historical linguistics, 'Cushitic' is employed to describe a hypothetical language family within the Afroasiatic phylum. This term may also be used to refer to the people who speak these languages. However, there is often confusion between this academic usage and the ancient kingdom of Kush, which is frequently referred to as Nubia in historical works. The confusion extends to the usage of the same term in Biblical texts. The book delves into the history of the Kingdom of Kush, the Biblical usage of Kush/Cush, and the so-called Cushitic languages, offering a nuanced discussion of these intertwined topics.

    2 in stock

    £28.04

  • A Secret Vice Tolkien on Invented Languages

    HarperCollins Publishers A Secret Vice Tolkien on Invented Languages

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisFirst ever critical study of Tolkien's little-known essay, which reveals how language invention shaped the creation of Middle-earth and beyond, to George R R Martin's Game of Thrones.J.R.R. Tolkien's linguistic invention was a fundamental part of his artistic output, to the extent that later on in life he attributed the existence of his mythology to the desire to give his languages a home and peoples to speak them. As Tolkien puts it in A Secret Vice', the making of language and mythology are related functions'.In the 1930s, Tolkien composed and delivered two lectures, in which he explored these two key elements of his sub-creative methodology. The second of these, the seminal Andrew Lang Lecture for 19389, On Fairy-Stories', which he delivered at the University of St Andrews in Scotland, is well known. But many years before, in 1931, Tolkien gave a talk to a literary society entitled A Hobby for the Home', where he unveiled for the first time to a listening public the art that he had Trade Review‘Anyone who has interest in language, linguistics, storytelling, or simply just fantasy in general should add this to their top shelf’5* Amazon Reviewer ‘An absolute MUST HAVE for any Tolkien fan!’5* Amazon Reviewer

    1 in stock

    £9.49

  • AzarHagen Grammar  AE  5th Edition  Student Book

    Pearson Education AzarHagen Grammar AE 5th Edition Student Book

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    1 in stock

    £36.47

  • I Never Knew There Was a Word For It

    Penguin Books Ltd I Never Knew There Was a Word For It

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisFrom ''shotclog'', a Yorkshire term for a companion only tolerated because he is paying for the drinks, to Albanian having 29 words to describe different kinds of eyebrows, the languages of the world are full of amazing, amusing and illuminating words and expressions that will improve absolutely everybody''s quality of life. All they need is this book! This bumper volume gathers all three of Adam Jacot de Boinod''s acclaimed books about language - The Wonder of Whiffling, The Meaning of Tingo and Toujours Tingo (their fans include everyone from Stephen Fry to Michael Palin) - into one highly entertaining, keenly priced compendium. As Mariella Frostup said ''You''ll never be lost for words again!''Trade ReviewA book no well-stocked bookshelf, cistern-top or handbag should be without - The Meaning of Tingo -- Stephen FryYou'll never be lost for words again. Truly enlightening! - The Wonder of Whiffling -- Mariella FrostrupVery funny * Independent on Sunday *

    1 in stock

    £17.09

  • Roman Perspectives on Linguistic Diversity

    Oxford University Press Inc Roman Perspectives on Linguistic Diversity

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisThirty years ago Robert Kaster''s Guardians of Language: The Grammarian and Society in Late Antiquity investigated ancient Greco-Roman grammarians as social agents within their social and cultural context. This collection of twelve essays develops that line of inquiry by focusing on one dimension of their activity: how Roman grammarians - as well as scholars and intellectuals more broadly - described, made sense of, and resisted linguistic diversity within the Roman republic and empire. This includes social and diachronic variety within Latin as well as multilingual contact with Greek and other Mediterranean languages. The essays cover five centuries of Latin reflection on language, from Varro to the fifth or sixth century CE. The book concludes with an autobiographical Epilogue by Robert Kaster about the origins of Guardians of Language and updates to the prosopography of known ancient grammarians found in Guardians.Trade ReviewHow does a language that has become the lingua franca of an Empire change over time? Who drives such change, and how is it seen by intellectuals and by those who oversee élite education-the grammatici? These essays explore these questions in detail, insightfully, often humorously. The Epilogue, Robert Kaster's own account of the accidental genesis of Guardians of Language, shows why its 30th anniversary deserves celebration, and displays the wit and modesty that helped inspire the loyalty of Kaster's students and colleagues alike. Kaster's updated prosopography of Roman grammatici makes the book indispensable for students of that no longer quite so neglected group of guardians of the Latin language. * David Blank, University of California, Los Angeles *Gitner has assembled an all-star team to finally respond to Guardians of Language in the best possible way. Recent technical advances in a variety of fields have been marshaled, the time frame of the investigation has been expanded, and the relevance of a variety of other scholarly discourses to the policing of language has been properly recognized. All in all, a remarkable collective achievement. * Andrew Riggsby, University of Texas, Austin *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Contributors Short Title Abbreviations Preface Adam Gitner Introduction 1. Counterfeit and Coinage: Gresham's Law and the Grammarian James E. G. Zetzel Part I: Varro 2. Varro the Conservative? Katharina Volk 3. Varro and the Sabine Language in the De lingua Latina Wolfgang D. C. de Melo 4. Varro's Word Trees Andreas T. Zanker Part II: Professional Grammarians 5. The Use of Greek in Diomedes' Ars grammatica Bruno Rochette 6. The Grammarian Consentius on Language Change and Variation Tommaso Mari 7. Antiquus = squalidus? Pompeius' Attitude towards Antiquity Anna Zago 8. T(w)o Be or Not T(w)o Be: The dualis numerus according to Latin Grammarians up to the Early Middle Ages Tim Denecker 9. Anonymous Grammatical Scholarship: Insights from an Annotated Juvenal Codex from Egypt Alessandro Garcea and Maria Chiara Scappaticcio Part III: Scholars and Intellectuals 10. Civic Metaphors for Lexical Borrowing from Seneca to Gellius Adam Gitner 11. Grammar and Grammarians, Linguistic and Social Change from Gellius to Macrobius Leofranc Holford-Strevens 12. Language Variation and Grammatical Theory in Roman Legal Texts Rolando Ferri Epilogue The (Very Fragile) Origins of Guardians of Language Robert A. Kaster Prosopographical Addenda to Guardians of Language Robert A. Kaster Bibliography General Index Index of Notable Passages

    1 in stock

    £54.00

  • Origin Uncertain

    Oxford University Press Inc Origin Uncertain

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisLost origins of words revealed. We like to recount that goodbye started out as god be with you, that whiskey comes from the Gaelic for water of life, or that avocado originated as the Aztec word for testicle. But there are many words with origins unknown, disputed, or so buried in old journals that they may as well be lost to the general public. In Origin Uncertain: Unraveling the Mysteries of Etymology, eminent etymologist Anatoly Liberman draws on his professional expertise and etymological database to tell the stories of less understood words such as nerd, fake, ain''t, hitchhike, trash, curmudgeon, and quiz, as well as puzzling idioms like kick the bucket and pay through the nose. By casting a net so broadly, the book addresses language history, language usage (including grammar), history (both ancient and modern), religion, superstitions, and material culture. Writing in the spirit of adventure through the annals of word origins, Liberman also shows how historical linguists constr

    1 in stock

    £22.99

  • Highly Irregular

    Oxford University Press Inc Highly Irregular

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisFor anyone who has ever wondered why English is so weird, an entertaining and expert tour of the most puzzling parts of our language.Maybe you''ve been speaking English all your life, or maybe you learned it later on. But whether you use it just well enough to get your daily business done, or you''re an expert with a red pen who never omits a comma or misplaces a modifier, you must have noticed that there are some things about this language that are just weird.Perhaps you''re reading a book and stop to puzzle over absurd spelling rules (Why are there so many ways to say ''-gh''?), or you hear someone talking and get stuck on an expression (Why do we say How dare you but not How try you?), or your kid quizzes you on homework (Why is it eleven and twelve instead of oneteen and twoteen?). Suddenly you ask yourself, Wait, why do we do it this way? You think about it, try to explain it, and keep running into walls. It doesn''t conform to logic. It doesn''t work the way you''d expect it to. There doesn''t seem to be any rule at all. There might not be a logical explanation, but there will be an explanation, and this book is here to help.In Highly Irregular, Arika Okrent answers these questions and many more. Along the way she tells the story of the many influences--from invading French armies to stubborn Flemish printers--that made our language the way it is today. Both an entertaining send-up of linguistic oddities and a deeply researched history of English, Highly Irregular is essential reading for anyone who has paused to wonder about our marvelous mess of a language.

    1 in stock

    £11.39

  • The FWord

    Oxford University Press Inc The FWord

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisA skillfully updated edition of The F-Word which renders a comprehensive portrait of English''s most notorious and colorful word. No word has generated more uses, more creative euphemisms, and more strong opinions than fuck. Jesse Sheidlower''s historical dictionary, now in print for over 25 years, charts the uses of fuck and its many permutations, from absofuckinglutely to zipless fuck. It illustrates every sense of every entry with quotations, from the earliest that can be found to a recent example, showing exactly how the word has been used throughout history.This new edition is not just a minor update but a comprehensive revision of Sheidlower''s groundbreaking text for the internet age. Major new discoveries push back the known history of fuck by almost two hundred years. Sheidlower also considers rapidly changing attitudes towards the use of fuck in public discourse. The volume includes over 2,500 new quotations; over 150 new antedatings (earlier examples of existing entries, improving our understanding of the word''s development); and over 150 entries, including high-profile recent uses such as AF ''as fuck'', fuckboi, and the group of expressions of the sort to give no fucks or zero fucks given.

    1 in stock

    £17.99

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