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

David Crystal is one of the world's foremost authorities on language; he works from his home in Holyhead, North Wales, as a writer, editor, lecturer and broadcaster. He held a chair at the University of Reading for ten years, and is now Honorary Professor of Linguistics at the University of Wales, Bangor. He published the first of his 100 or so books in 1964, and became known chiefly for his research work in English language studies. His recent publications include: Think On My Words: Exploring Shakespeare's Language (2008), A Little Book of Language (2010), Just a Phrase I'm Going Through: My Life in Language (2009), and The Future of Language (2009).