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Words of Wonder

Endangered Languages and What They Tell Us
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Words of Wonder: Endangered Languages and What They Tell Us, Second Edition by Nicholas Evans is a gripping and moving exploration of the world's linguistic diversity and the urgent issue of language endangerment. This thoroughly revised edition delves into the preservation of indigenous languages, the challenges of documenting fragile oral traditions, and the transformative impact of technology on language revitalisation. With portraits of "last speakers" and new research insights, the book offers an accessible introduction to language diversity, its connection to culture and thought, and the role of language study in understanding human history. It also includes access to a companion website featuring sound files and videos for a richer learning experience.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$8099
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Ideal for undergraduate and graduate students of linguistics, anthropology, and language preservation, as well as readers interested in the diversity and cultural significance of the world's languages.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

A gripping and moving text which explores the wealth of human language diversity, how deeply it matters, and how we can best turn the tide of language endangerment

In the new, thoroughly revised second edition of Words of Wonder: Endangered Languages and What They Tell Us, Second Edition (formerly called Dying Words: Endangered Languages and What They Have to Tell Us), renowned scholar Nicholas Evans delivers an accessible and incisive text covering the impact of mass language endangerment. The distinguished author explores issues surrounding the preservation of indigenous languages, including the best and most effective ways to respond to the challenge of recording and documenting fragile oral traditions while theyโ€™re still with us.

This latest edition offers an entirely new chapter on new developments in language revitalisation, including the impact of technology on language archiving, the use of social media, and autodocumentation by speakers. It also includes a number of new sections on how recent developments in language documentation give us a fuller picture of human linguistic diversity. Seeking to answer the question of why widespread linguistic diversity exists in the first place, the book weaves in portraits of individual โ€œlast speakersโ€ and anecdotes about linguists and their discoveries. It provides access to a companion website with sound files and embedded video clips of various languages mentioned in the text. It also offers:

  • A thorough introduction to the astonishing diversity of the worldโ€™s languages
  • Comprehensive exploration of how the study of living languages can help us understand deep human history, including the decipherment of unknown texts in ancient languages
  • Discussions of the intertwining of language, culture and thought, including both fieldwork and experimental studies
  • An introduction to the dazzling beauty and variety of oral literature across a range of endangered languages
  • In-depth examinations of the transformative effect of new technology on language documentation and revitalisation

Perfect for undergraduate and graduate students studying language endangerment and preservation and for any reader who wants to discover what the full diversity of the worldโ€™s languages has to teach us, Words of Wonder: Endangered Languages and What They Tell Us, Second Edition, will earn a place in the libraries of linguistics, anthropology, and sociology scholars with a professional or personal interest in endangered languages and in the full wealth of the worldโ€™s languages.

Series: The Language Library

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  • Words of Wonder
    A gripping and moving text which explores the wealth of human language diversity, how deeply it matters, and how we can best turn the tide of language endangerment In the new, thoroughly revised second edition of Words of Wonder: Endangered Languages and What They Tell Us, Second Edition (formerly called Dying Words: Endangered Languages and What They Have to Tell...
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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781119758754

Publisher: John Wiley and Sons Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 26 May 2022

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Wiley-Blackwell

Edition: 2nd edition

Audience: Tertiary education

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 20.0mm

Width: 178.0mm

Height: 252.0mm

Weight: 590g

Pages: 320

About the Author

Nicholas Evans is Distinguished Professor of Linguistics at the Australian National University and Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for the Dynamics of Language and the Evolution of Cultural Diversity Initiative. He has published over 200 scientific publications, including nine monographs and nine edited books, and taught courses on linguistic typology, semantics, field methods, Australian and Papuan languages, and more.

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