A Guide to the World’s Languages: Volume I, Classification - Softcover

Ruhlen, Merritt

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0804718946 ISBN 13: 9780804718943

Publisher: Stanford University Press, 1991

Synopsis

This is the first of three pathbreaking volumes that will constitute a wide-ranging analytical guide to the world's approximately 5,000 languages. The volumes are written for both linguists and general readers, and this first volume in particular assumes no background in linguistics. A postscript prepared for this paperback edition takes research data to 1990. The book is illustrated with 21 maps.

About this title

From the Back Cover:

“A definitive reference work on the classification of human languages with state-of-the-art freshness and great clarity.”—Diachronica
“It is interesting to read, is well documented and thorough, and is useful as a work of reference.”—Modern Language Review

From Library Journal:

Though more readable than Voegelin and Voegelin's Classification and Index of the World's Languages (Elsevier, 1977), this also will probably find its primary use as a reference tool. Ruhlen offers some advantages over Voegelin. He includes data discovered since 1977. He employs a tabular rather than alphabetic order, making it easier to see the overall picture; an index permits finding any language in the table. In addition, Ruhlen has five chapters each devoted to one part of the world, a chapter on classification principles, and a chapter on future research. He also provides maps. Ruhlen's classifications are at times controversial, especially when he combines all the world's 5000-odd languages into only 17 families. He relies heavily on the work of Joseph H. Greenberg, but admits frankly which groupings are controversial and which linguists disagree. Volume 2 will be Language Data and Volume 3 Language Universals. Suitable for reference collections, especially at schools with substantial linguistics programs. Catherine V. von Schon, SUNY at Stony Brook Lib.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Stanford University Press
• Publication date: 1991
• ISBN 10: 0804718946
• ISBN 13: 9780804718943
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 492