Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 15th Edition

The 16th edition is now available, ISBN 9781556712166

The Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 15th edition is a comprehensive reference volume that catalogs all the known living languages in the world today. The Ethnologue has been an active research project for more than fifty years. Thousands of linguists and other researchers all over the world rely on and have contributed to the Ethnologue. It is widely regarded to be the most comprehensive listing of information of its kind. A new edition is published approximately every four years.

Features

• 6,912 language descriptions organized by continent and country
• 39,491 primary names, alternate names, and dialect names
• 208 color maps showing location and distribution of languages
• Unique three-letter identifier for each language from the International Standard ISO 639-3
• Statistical summaries with numerical tabulations of living languages and number of speakers by continent, by language size, by language family, and by country
• Quality 7"x10" hardbound single volume

Table of Contents

Abbreviations
Introduction
Statistical Summaries

Part I: Languages of the World

Africa
Americas
Asia
Europe
Pacific
Bibliography

Part II: Language Maps

Africa
Americas
Asia
Europe
Pacific

Part III: Indexes

Language Name Index
Language Code Index
Country Index

The 16th edition is now available, ISBN 9781556712166

Since its first edition, in 1951, the editors of Ethnologue have been recording the existence, locales, users, growth, and demise of languages around the globe. The efforts of numerous researchers result in a large, densely packed work with concise facts and figures. The primary purpose of the work is to provide a list of living languages, where used and by whom, but there are also a number of value-added features.

The introductory material explains the layout and the types of information available in each record. Next follows a set of statistical tables summarizing distributions, language families, and linguistic diversity. Part 1, "Languages of the World," provides country information, arranged by region. Each country entry is introduced by a paragraph noting basic general demographic information, the main languages, and the sources consulted. This is followed by a list of languages and their particular demographics. Dialects are noted along with estimated numbers of speakers, and in some cases, comments on the viability of a language are provided. It is sad to see the small numbers of documented speakers for some languages, but this is important to know in an ever-flattening and connected world.

Part 2 consists of more than 200 pages of subtly colored maps showing language distribution and locations within countries. The "Language Name Index" includes alternate names and is more than 300 pages in length. The final section of the book is a "Language Code Index" with standard three-letter -language-identifier codes. What is missing is a bibliography to go with the source citations found in the country entries.

Libraries that serve linguists, aid agencies, anthropologists, biological scientists, and researchers in other special fields will find this updated work a useful addition. It is very reasonably priced for the amount of information provided. Linda Loos Scarth
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