6/26/2023 0 Comments Spell it out by david crystal![]() ![]() ![]() While not quite a reference book, its index enables it to function as one, as do the illustrations, e.g., the diagrams of the human throat, ear and brain the charts of Egyptian hieroglyphs and Sumerian pictograms in the section on writing systems the depiction of British and American finger spelling in the section on sign language the Indo-European language tree that demonstrates language relationships. Following this order is not necessary, however, for Crystal advises that each short chapter is self-contained and the sequencing is up to the reader. After beginning with spoken and written language, with a brief look at computer-mediated communication, he moves on to sign language the structure of language dialects the various families of languages and multilingualism. His approach is always to explain “how,” every chapter starting with that word. He touches on just about every aspect of language: the physiology behind the formation of speech sounds how we learn to speak, read and write how we choose what to say how the brain handles language how language tells who we are and where we’re from how languages evolve. ![]() A virtual encyclopedia of language, so broad in scope that its subtitle can only hint at its contents.īritish linguist Crystal, editor of The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language and author of numerous other works on language, is writing here for the interested layman as well as the language maven. ![]()
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