The Power of Babel: A Natural History of Language - Couverture rigide

McWhorter, John H.

Couverture rigide

ISBN 10 : 0716744732 ISBN 13 : 9780716744733

Editeur : W.H.Freeman & Co Ltd, 2001

Synopsis

Book by McWhorter John

A propos du livre

Présentation de l'éditeur

There are approximately six thousand languages on Earth today, each a descendant of the tongue first spoken by Homo sapiens some 150,000 years ago. While laying out how languages mix and mutate over time, linguistics professor John McWhorter reminds us of the variety within the species that speaks them, and argues that, contrary to popular perception, language is not immutable and hidebound, but a living, dynamic entity that adapts itself to an ever-changing human environment.

Full of humor and imaginative insight, The Power of Babel draws its illustrative examples from languages around the world, including pidgins, Creoles, and nonstandard dialects.

Présentation de l'éditeur

There can be few subjects of such widespread interest and fascination to anyone who reads as the strange ways of languages. In this wonderfully entertaining and fascinating book, John McWhorter introduces us to 'the natural history of language': from Russonorsk, a creole of Russian and Norwegian once spoken by trading fur trappers to an Australian Aboriginal language which only has three verbs. Witty, brilliant and authoritative, this book is a must for anyone who is interested in language, as sheerly enjoyable as non-fiction gets.

Détails de l'édition

• Éditeur: W.H.Freeman & Co Ltd
• Date d'édition: 2001
• Langue: anglais
• ISBN 10: 0716744732
• ISBN 13: 9780716744733
• Reliure: Relié
• Nombre de pages: 336
• Coordonnées du fabricant: non disponible
• Personne responsable: non disponible