The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language

This new, thoroughly revised edition of the acclaimed Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language incorporates the major developments in language study which have taken place since the mid 1990s. Two main new areas have been added: the rise of electronic communication in all its current forms from email to texting, and the crisis affecting the world's languages, of which half are thought to be so seriously endangered that they will die out this century. * All language statistics have been updated, and additional information provided about their linguistic affiliation * All topics involving technology have been revised to take account of recent developments, notably in phonetics, language disability, and computing * Maps have been revised to include new countries or country names * Special attention has been paid to fast-moving areas such as language teaching and learning * The text design has been completely updated with many new illustrations throughout

ISBN 0521736501   Pages 524 ISBN13 9780521736503 (What's this?)   Weight (grammes) 2100 Publisher Cambridge University Press   Published in Cambridge Imprint Cambridge University Press   Previous ISBN 9780521559676 Format Paperback   Height (mm) 276 Publication date 03 Jun 2010   Width (mm) 219 DEWEY 403   Spine width (mm) 36 DEWEY edition DC22   Academic level General, Tertiary education

		Preface to the first edition
		Preface to the second edition
I		Popular ideas about language		1
1		The prescriptive tradition		2
2		The equality of languages		6
3		The magic of language		8
4		The functions of language		10
5		Language and thought		14
II		Language and identity		17
6		Physical identity		18
7		Psychological identity		22
8		Geographical identity		24
9		Ethnic and national identity		34
10		Social identity		38
11		Contextual identity		50
12		Stylistic identity and literature		68
III		The structure of language		83
13		Linguistic levels		84
14		Typology and universals		86
15		The statistical structure of language		90
16		Grammar		92
17		Semantics		104
18		Dictionaries		112
19		Names		116
20		Discourse and text		120
21		Pragmatics		124
IV		The medium of language: speaking and listening		129
22		The anatomy and physiology of speech		130
		More...

'... a celebration of language in all its oddity, beauty, fun, astonishing complexity and limitless variety.' London Review of Books 'The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language is a masterpeice of comprehensiveness and clarity.' New Internationalist '... an ingenious tour de force ... stunningly diverse linguistic menu.' Robert Burchfield, The Times '... magnificently demonstrates Professor Crystal's outstanding breadth of knowledge, incisiveness of judgment and superb skills at getting to the heart of highly complex issues in a clear and straightforward manner.' Randolph Quirk, FBA '... David Crystal has a great facility for explaining language issues with plain good sense, wit and admirable brevity.' The Times Educational Supplement 'One of the world's foremost linguistic experts, Crystal has authored numerous tomes on the history and study of the English language, though this, with its full-colour illustrations and exhaustive index, is arguably the most comprehensive. A useful guide for anyone - from the interested layperson to the most widely read of academics.' The Independent

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