books tagged “linguistics”

Course in Modern Linguistics, A, by Hockett, Charles F.. 1st ptg. 8vo. [via]

There are more than fifteen million native speakers of Chichewa, or Chinyanja, in Malawi, and in parts of Zambia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and South Africa; thus Chichewa is probably the most widely spoken African language across the regions of Southern and South-Central Africa, used extensively in the private and public spheres: in the family, schools, government, NGOs and media communications. This is the first authoritative, and most comprehensive dictionary of its kind, a notable scholarly endeavour, and with major practical applications. The dictionary grew from an ad-hoc missionary publication of Chichewa/English translations from the 1970s, but far exceeds the scope of any previous efforts to transcribe the Chichewa language, provide accurate English equivalents, and reach a popular audience. It is a 'live text', taking in native speakers' collections of Chichewa vocabulary, contemporary usage, as well as contributions from scholars in African languages; and it pays heed to the close interaction between Chichewa and English and how the languages influence one another when both are widely spoken. In Africa it aims to be the first popular Chichewa/English dictionary for all levels of language use; outside Africa, it is aimed at foreignvisitors and workers dealing with the Chichewa languages in professional and tourist capacities, in government and NGO communities, the media, academia and in specialist fields such as medicine, information technology and the law. [via]

In The Highly Selective Dictionary for the Extraordinarily Literate, Eugene Ehrlich pulls no punches about his intent. This book and its companion, The Highly Selective Thesaurus for the Extraordinarily Literate, are prescriptive rather than descriptive, dedicated to recording language as it should be rather than how it often is. In the preface, Ehrlich announces that he means his book to be an "antidote" to the "effects wrought by the forces of linguistic darkness"--meaning, of course, all lexicographers more permissive than he is. That said, Ehrlich's conservative approach handily disposes of many thorny usage problems. The entry for "effectual," for example, distinguishes between "effective" and "effectual" in a concise and utterly persuasive way: "...a law that is effective--operative, in effect--becomes effectual--answers its purpose--only when the law is enforced."

This is not your ordinary dictionary; Ehrlich thinks that defining everyday words with commonly accepted meanings is a massive waste of time. Instead, he concentrates on unusual words or those that present interesting problems. The result is a fascinating dictionary that can be read cover to cover, like a book; do so and your vocabulary may never be the same again. [via]

If you're serious about writing and speaking language that crackles with delightful and obscure words, then you must have this book. As indicated by the title, it is a selective thesaurus containing 50,000 words and phrases, focusing on the more arcane or colorful choices. The main weakness is lack of cross-referencing, but it is nonetheless a superlative supplement to standard thesauri or synonym dictionaries. [via]

A vintage collection of sparkling essays by a writer who is surely in the tradition of T. H. Huxley, Faraday, and J. B. S. Haldane.' New Scientist . [via]

This magnificent collection of essays by scientist and National Book Award-winning writer Lewis Thomas remains startlingly relevant for today's world. Luminous, witty, and provocative, the essays address such topics as "The Attic of the Brain, " "Falsity and Failure, " "Altruism, " and the effects of the federal government's virtual abandonment of support for basic scientific research will have on medicine and science. Profoundly and powerfully, Thomas questions the folly of nuclear weaponry, showing that t brainpower and money spent on this endeavor are needed much more urgently for the basic science we have abandoned--and that even medicine's most advanced procedures would be useless or insufficient in the face of the smallest nuclear detonation. And in the title essay, he addresses himself with terrifying poignancy to the question of what it is like to be young in the nuclear age. [via]

Let's face it--even some adults find Tolkien's mammoth fantasy a daunting mouthful but children now have this special seven-book box set of The Lord of The Rings to make the epic tale just that bit easier to chew on. Split into its seven constituent parts, these slim volumes tell the ageless tale of young Frodo's quest to destroy The Ring and defeat the forces of evil. It's beautifully presented in a black presentation box with the movie logo and an illustration on the side and the spines of the books also form the movie logo. A contemporary look and plenty of "cool appeal" will grab kids' interest and ensure they don't miss out on reading this classic of the genre. --Jonathan Weir [via]

Volosinov's important work, first published in Russian in 1929, had to wait a generation for recognition. This first paperback edition of the English translation will be capital for literary theorists, philosophers, linguists, psychologists, and many others.

Volosinov is out to undo the old disciplinary boundaries between linguistics, rhetoric, and poetics in order to construct a new kind of field: semiotics or textual theory. Matejka and Titunik have provided a new preface to discuss Volosinov in relation to the great resurgence of interest in all the writing of the circle of Mikhail Bakhtin.

Meaning Of Meaning [Paperback] by Ogden, C. K.; Richards, I. A. [via]

Collier Books paperback. Comedy illustrated. [via]

Whether you're learning alone or attending classes, you'll find this complete Russian language course for beginners both accessible and indispensable. Designed to provide the student with an excellent command of basic Russian (the equivalent of A level standard) this book features thirty lessons punctuated by revision exercises to ensure you have fully understood what you have learned. The emphasis is on acquiring vocabulary, experiencing conversational language and learning useful grammar. This book also includes a vocabulary of 1,500 words and a glossary of grammatical terms. [via]

"Outside, even through the shut window pane, the world looked cold. Down in the street little eddies of wind were whirling dust and torn paper into spirals, and though the sun was shining and the sky a harsh blue, there seemed to be no color in anything except the posters that were plastered everywhere."

The year is 1984; the scene is London, largest population center of Airstrip One.

Airstrip One is part of the vast political entity Oceania, which is eternally at war with one of two other vast entities, Eurasia and Eastasia. At any moment, depending upon current alignments, all existing records show either that Oceania has always been at war with Eurasia and allied with Eastasia, or that it has always been at war with Eastasia and allied with Eurasia. Winston Smith knows this, because his work at the Ministry of Truth involves the constant "correction" of such records. "'Who controls the past,' ran the Party slogan, 'controls the future: who controls the present controls the past.'"

In a grim city and a terrifying country, where Big Brother is always Watching You and the Thought Police can practically read your mind, Winston is a man in grave danger for the simple reason that his memory still functions. He knows the Party's official image of the world is a fluid fiction. He knows the Party controls the people by feeding them lies and narrowing their imaginations through a process of bewilderment and brutalization that alienates each individual from his fellows and deprives him of every liberating human pursuit from reasoned inquiry to sexual passion. Drawn into a forbidden love affair, Winston finds the courage to join a secret revolutionary organization called The Brotherhood, dedicated to the destruction of the Party. Together with his beloved Julia, he hazards his life in a deadly match against the powers that be.

Newspeak, doublethink, thoughtcrime--in 1984, George Orwell created a whole vocabulary of words concerning totalitarian control that have since passed into our common vocabulary. More importantly, he has portrayed a chillingly credible dystopia. In our deeply anxious world, the seeds of unthinking conformity are everywhere in evidence; and Big Brother is always looking for his chance. --Daniel Hintzsche [via]

Evolution of human speech. Includes over 100 black-and-white photos, figures and tables. [via]

Among the seminal texts of the 20th century, Nineteen Eighty-Four is a rare work that grows more haunting as its futuristic purgatory becomes more real. Published in 1949, the book offers political satirist George Orwell's nightmare vision of a totalitarian, bureaucratic world and one poor stiff's attempt to find individuality. The brilliance of the novel is Orwell's prescience of modern life--the ubiquity of television, the distortion of the language--and his ability to construct such a thorough version of hell. Required reading for students since it was published, it ranks among the most terrifying novels ever written. [via]

How do people learn a second language? For almost two decades, Principles of Language Learning and Teaching has been recognized as an exceptional guide to the theoretical foundations of language teaching. This new fourth edition offers an overview of the study of Second Language Acquisition, while acting as a reference for the growing storehouse of research, subfields, and specialization of SLA. [via]

"THE RUSSIAN'S WORLD is a unique achievement, which presents carefully selected portions of the Russian lexicon within a broad cultural context. It explains aspects of Russian culture and of Russian life (in short, "the Russian's world") in a lively and engaging manner and contains information that is of value to students of Russian language, literature, history, and culture of all levels, from those just past the beginner stage to the most advanced, and with every interest, be it nineteenth-century literature or contemporary society."

Excerpt from the Special Achievement Award conferred upon the second edition of THE RUSSIAN'S WORLD by the Publications Committee of the American Association of Teachers of Slavic and East European Languages (AATSEEL) in December 1993. [via]

This book is for people who love Shakespeare, or love language, or both. David Crystal, one of the world's foremost authorities on the English language, with his actor son, Ben, have taken a fresh look at the vocabulary of Shakespeare's poems and plays and compiled a glossary of nearly 14,000 words and meanings. They have included every word which presents the reader with a difficulty arising out of the differences between Elizabethan and Modern English. This collaboration of linguist and actor is unique, enabling the author to add fascinating nuances to our understanding of Shakespeare's language. The book departs from the usual type of glossary in several ways. Meanings are brought into sharp focus through the use of multiple glosses; and each entry is supported by at least one illustrative quotation. A scene-setting caption puts the quotation in its dramatic context and helps to clarify the meaning. Cross-references to further uses of a word are made to other plays. Additional features are introduced which give the book the character of a language companion. For those at the beginning of their encounter with Shakespeare, there is a handy basic list of frequently encountered words. For the more advanced reader, there are panels on intriguing areas of his language such as archaisms, greetings and swear-words. A series of appendices collates the way characters are named, the names of the people and places they talk about, and the foreign languages that some of them use. There are complete listings of all the French, Latin, Spanish and Italian words, as well as information about the way Welsh, Scottish and Irish dialects are handled. An especially fascinating feature of the book is the way the plays are presented to the reader both in written and diagrammatic form. Each play has a conventional plot synopsis and list of dramatis personae, but the authors additionally provide a specially devised Shakespearean Circle. The Circles are informative illustrations representing the way the characters of each play interact with each other, and they thereby show the reader at a glance who belongs in which circle of influence. In "Richard II", which characters follow Richard and which follow Bolingbroke? The relevant page will immediately tell you. The Circles are ideal for theatre-goers, actors and students, and are uniquely useful as a visual aid. The combination of these features with the authority of a language expert and the dramtaic instincts of an actor make "Shakespeare's Words" ideal for aficionados and amateurs alike, either as a quick reference or as a basis for in-depth research. It is a valuable aid in the study and understanding of Shakespeare. [via]

This book, the fourth in the famous "Gentle Art" series, continues and extends the revolutionary system of language behavior. It focuses specifically on the communications skills required of executives and professionals. [via]

The tales told by Shahrazad over a thousand and one nights to delay her execution by the vengeful King Shahriyar have become among the most popular in both Eastern and Western literature. From the epic adventures of "Aladdin and the Enchanted Lamp" to the farcical "Young Woman and her Five Lovers" and the social criticism of "The Tale of the Hunchback", the stories depict a fabulous world of all-powerful sorcerers, jinns imprisoned in bottles and enchanting princesses. But despite their imaginative extravagance, the Tales are anchored to everyday life by their realism, providing a full and intimate record of medieval Islam. [via]

Do you find the errors on a menu before the waiter has a chance to recite the specials? Is "Your call will be answered in the order in which it was received" as grating to you as fingernails on a blackboard? Would you cringe if an advertisement for your child's school promised a "low teacher-to-student ratio"? If so, Barbara Wallraff's Word Court is a book without which you cannot live. For seasoned wordsmiths, books about language can entertain; on occasion they may also enlighten. But rare is the book such as this that can teach an old pro so many new tricks, and in such a delightful manner. If you are a reader of Wallraff's "Word Court" column for The Atlantic Monthly, you will have already seen much of what is included here. If not, caveat lector: Though there is an index, this book is arranged in such a way that one may well find oneself reading the proverbial "one more page" long into the night.

"What I know about language," says Wallraff, "derives chiefly from my having edited, line by line and word by word, other people's writing over the past two decades." In Word Court, Wallraff addresses changes in the language, questions of grammar, issues concerning specific words and phrases, and a bunch of other, uncategorizable linguistic concerns. She recommends rewriting in order to avoid problems ("recast, recast"), treading carefully when you don't want controversial word use to obscure your point, and forgiving significant others "for any lapse of grammar committed in a bathrobe, before the coffee is ready." This book is delicious. And I'll bet your first-edition Fowler that Wallraff even introduces a few issues you may never have considered (perhaps the exceptional which, "picnic's grandmother" constructions, or those rare instances in which a sentence's two grammatically independent clauses should not--I repeat, not--be separated by a comma). --Jane Steinberg [via]

"I hate quotations," said Emerson in his Journals. "Tell me what you know." Poor Emerson. He didn't realize how very much could be known by browsing a book of quotations. Words on Words provides a sort of crash course in the history of thought about language and languages. Sure, what you get here are just snippets--nearly 5,000 of them--but those snippets will send you back to countless original sources. The result is a sort of Bartlett's for word lovers, language enthusiasts, and linguists. (As in Bartlett's, a generous portion of the text--nearly half--is devoted to indexes.)

Editors David Crystal and Hilary Crystal culled (and frequently corrected) quotations from elsewhere; they also read widely, gathering quotations from original sources. They were often surprised, they say in the book's introduction, by which texts rendered the most quotations: the works of Laurence Sterne, for example, were "unexpectedly fruitful"; Pepys's Diary, on the other hand, "yielded next to nothing." In their reading, the editors sought, among other qualities, "succinctness and autonomy of expression." They found this with abundance in the works of Oscar Wilde, as well as in those of Shakespeare, Wordsworth, Montaigne, Emerson, Samuel Johnson, Dickens, and Ambrose Bierce (his unequaled Devil's Dictionary is widely quoted). The quotations have been sorted into 65 categories, focusing on such topics as language origins, usage, multilingualism, verbosity, slang, and the language of politics. One might think, given David Crystal's renown as a linguist, that professional linguists might have made a strong showing here. No go. "On the whole," the Crystals say, "linguists are remarkably unquoteworthy." --Jane Steinberg [via]