Home Thomas Rare Books Dictionary of Languages : The Definitive Reference to More Than 400 Languages by Dalby, Andrew (ISBN: 9780231115681)

Dictionary of Languages : The Definitive Reference to More Than 400 Languages

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Dictionary of Languages : The Definitive Reference to More Than 400 Languages Hardback - 1998

Name: Dictionary of Languages : The Definitive Reference to More Than 400 Languages
Price: 177.14 NZD
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Author: Dalby, Andrew
ISBN: 9780231115681

by Dalby, Andrew

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London: Bloomsbury, 1998. 1st Edition . Hardback. Fine/Fine. large 8vo. 734pp. Pictorial colour dust wrapper. No fading, inscriptions or marks. A lovely copy

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Title Dictionary of Languages : The Definitive Reference to More Than 400 Languages
Author Dalby, Andrew
Binding Hardback
Edition 1st Edition
Condition Used - Fine
Pages 800
Volumes 1
Language ENG
Publisher Bloomsbury, London
Publication date 1998
Illustrated Yes
Features Bibliography, Illustrated, Index, Maps
Bookseller's Inventory # W158
ISBN 9780231115681 / 0231115687
Weight 2.91 lbs (1.32 kg)
Dimensions 9.49 x 6.5 x 2.66 in (24.10 x 16.51 x 6.76 cm)
Size large 8vo
Category Reference
Library of Congress subjects Language and languages
Library of Congress Catalogue Number 98087178
Dewey Decimal Code 403
Quantity available 1
Bookseller catalogues Dictionaries

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From the publisher

Approximately how many languages compose the Bantu language group of central and southern Africa? What is the name of the language spoken in Hawaii by an estimated two thousand people? What Western European language is not known to be related to any other language family in the world--and is considered by linguists to be one of the most difficult to learn?

These are only a few of the questions language lovers, linguists, and lay readers will be able to answer with the Dictionary of Languages--an easy-to-navigate, authoritative guide to the world's languages and language groups at the end of the twentieth century. Andrew Dalby had the needs and interests of general readers in mind when he compiled this comprehensive reference work--most other language guides are written for scholars, and many include little or none of the absorbing social, cultural, geographic, and historical details that are brought together here.

In the Dictionary of Languages, readers will find:

-a selection of four hundred languages and language groups, arranged alphabetically, with rich, detailed descriptions of the genesis, development, and current status of each;

-more than two hundred maps displaying where the languages are spoken today;

-sidebars showing alphabets, numerals, and other enriching facts

-a comprehensive index listing additional languages, guiding readers to the nearest language groups with full writeups and maps;

-charts breaking down large language groups--such as Bantu or Austroasiatic languages--by geographic region and approximate number of speakers.

In a world where geopolitical boundaries often explain little about the people that live within them, where we may read about Kurd and Khmer in the same newspaper and be expected to be conversant about each--if not conversant in each--Dalby's single, information-packed volume helps us make sense of the rich mosaic of world languages.

From the rear cover

Covering the political, social and historical background of each language, Dictionary of Languages offers a unique insight into human culture and communication. Every language that has official status is included, as well as all those that have a written literature and 175 'minor' languages with special historical or anthropological interest. Both living and dead languages are covered and we see how, with the rapidly increasing uniformity of our culture as media's influence spreads, more languages have become extinct or are under threat of extinction. The text is highlighted by maps and charts of scripts, while proverbs, anecdotes and quotations reveal the features that make a language unique.

Media reviews

Citations

American Reference Bks Annual, 01/01/2000, Page 411
Booklist, 05/15/1999, Page 1718
Library Journal, 05/01/1999, Page 68
Rec Ref Bks for Small/Med Libr, 01/01/2000, Page 183

About the author

Andrew Dalby is Honorary Librarian at the Institute of Linguistics in London. He is the author of many books, most recently, Language in Danger (Columbia, 2003).

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