The story of the world in the last five thousand years is above all the story of its languages. Some shared language is what binds any community together and makes possible both the living of a common
The authors are outstanding scholars engaged in the study of language varieties spoken in 'convergence areas' in which speakers are multilingual in languages of at least two but sometimes all three la
A linguistic analysis supporting a new model of the colonization of the Antilles before 1492. This work formulates a testable hypothesis of the origins and migration patterns of the aboriginal peoples
This textbook provides a comprehensive survey of current language issues in the USA. Through a series of specially commissioned chapters by leading scholars, it explores the nature of language variation in the United States and its social, historical and political significance. The book is divided into three sections. Part I, American English, explores the history and distinctiveness of American English, and regional and social varieties. Part II, Other Language Varieties, looks at multilingualism and linguistic diversity. Part III, The Sociolinguistic Situation in the USA includes chapters on attitudes to language, language and education, Rap and Hip Hop, and adolescent language. It also explores issues such as the Ebonics controversy and the English Only movement. Clear, accessible and broad in its coverage, this book will be welcomed by students across the disciplines of English, Linguistics, Communication, American Studies and Popular Culture, as well as anyone interested more gene
For over a thousand years Ireland has been a host to a surprising variety of languages and cultures. Every area of Irish life and cultural expression has been informed by this contact with diverse lan
Explores the history of European vernacularity from the building of nations, empires, or ethnic communities to the politics of gender, class, or religion.
Six essays reflect the views of mostly Swiss language scholars on the present situation pertaining to languages in Switzerland amid fears that the country would not be able to maintain its identify wi
Myers-Scotton (linguistics, U. of South Carolina) defends her contention that grammatical outcomes in contact situations are not all that surprising and certainly not unique, because the general princ
Friedrich Max Muller was one of the great scholars of the nineteenth century. His studies on the history and nature of religion were of great interest to both scholarly and more popular circles, and h
For all the increasing sophistication of studies concerning the spread of ideas back and forth between residents of the Old and New Worlds, Fiering (Brown U.) was personally frustrated that few were a
This book presents the theory that the linguistic and cultural landscape of Europe north of the Alps and the Pyrenees was shaped in prehistoric times by the interaction of Indo-European speakers of la
Linguists estimate that there are currently nearly 2,000 languages in Africa, a staggering figure that is belied by the relatively few national languages. While African national politics, economics, a
Linguists estimate that there are currently nearly 2,000 languages in Africa, a staggering figure that is belied by the relatively few national languages. While African national politics, economics, a
Quantitative comparisons to be used on a global basis, focusing on over 460 language groups and the impact linguistic groups have upon such factors as economic development, demographic behavior, and g
From English, French, Spanish and Russian to Pashto, Tagalog, and Swahili, this is the first comprehensive reference work to provide detailed information about the world's forty major languages. Wri
