A Little Book of Language
Kaup valmöguleikar
Now in paperback, in the tradition of E. H. Gombrich's A Little History of the World, a lively journey through the story of language With a language disappearing every two weeks and neologisms springing up almost daily, an understanding of the origins and currency of language has never seemed more relevant. In this charming volume, a narrative history written explicitly for a young audience, expert linguist David Crystal proves why the story of language deserves retelling.
From the first words of an infant to the peculiar modern dialect of text messaging, A Little Book of Language ranges widely, revealing language’s myriad intricacies and quirks. In animated fashion, Crystal sheds light on the development of unique linguistic styles, the origins of obscure accents, and the search for the first written word. He discusses the plight of endangered languages, as well as successful cases of linguistic revitalization.
Nánar um bókina
- Yale University Press
- 9780300158755
- 9780300155334
- ePub
- 0
- David Crystal
- English
- 2010-10-26
- 100
- 2
- 2
Kaflar
- Cover
- Title
- Copyright
- Contents
- 1 Baby-talk
- 2 From cries to words
- 3 Learning how to understand
- 4 Making vibrations
- 5 Pronouncing sounds
- 6 Discovering grammar
- 7 Having a conversation
- 8 Learning to read and write
- 9 Getting to grips with spelling
- 10 Spelling rules and variations
- 11 Grammar rules and variations
- 12 Accents and dialects
- 13 Being bilingual
- 14 The languages of the world
- 15 The origins of speech
- 16 The origins of writing
- 17 Modern writing
- 18 Sign language
- 19 Comparing languages
- 20 Dying languages
- 21 Language change
- 22 Language variation
- 23 Language at work
- 24 Slang
- 25 Dictionaries
- 26 Etymology
- 27 Place names
- 28 Personal names
- 29 The electronic revolution
- 30 Texting
- 31 Language at play
- 32 Why use language?
- 33 Language for feelings
- 34 Political correctness
- 35 Language in literature
- 36 Developing a style
- 37 The complexity of language
- 38 Linguistics
- 39 Applied linguistics
- 40 Your language world
- Index