Discovery of Language: Linguistic Science in the Nineteenth Century examines how nineteenth-century linguists mapped the languages of the world.
This nonfiction survey traces early efforts to connect languages through sound, script, and family ties. It highlights findings from inscriptions, alphabets, and comparative study that shaped ideas about language relationships across continents and eras.
- How scholars used inscriptions and scripts to test theories about language family connections.
- How alphabets evolved from Semitic roots to Arabic, Persian, and other writing systems.
- Key debates that guided the growth of linguistic science in the 1800s.
- Concrete examples of methods used to read ancient languages and their scripts.
Ideal for readers curious about the history of linguistics, writing systems, and how scholars built the frameworks we use today.