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How Language Works: How Babies Babble, Words Change Meaning, and Languages Live
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How Language Works: How Babies Babble, Words Change Meaning, and Languages Live or Die Paperback - 2007

by David Crystal

Crystal offers general readers a personal tour of the intricate workings of language in this work of unprecedented scope. He discusses the power of language by looking at its origins, exploring how children learn to speak, and revealing how conversation works.


Summary

Steven Pinker meets Bill Bryson in this landmark exploration of language.

In the author's own words, "How Language Works is not about music, cookery, or sex. But it is about how we talk about music, cookery, and sex-or, indeed, anything at all." Language is so fundamental to everyday life that we take it for granted. But as David Crystal makes clear in this work of unprecedented scope, language is an extremely powerful tool that defines the human species.

Crystal offers general readers a personal tour of the intricate workings of language. He moves effortlessly from big subjects like the origins of languages, how children learn to speak, and how conversation works to subtle but revealing points such as how email differs from both speech and writing in important ways, how language reveals a person's social status, and how we decide whether a word is rude or polite.

Broad and deep, but with a light and witty touch, How Language Works is the ultimate layman's guide to how we communicate with one another.

From the publisher

David Crystal is honorary professor of linguistics at the University of Wales, Bangor, and the editor of The Penguin Encyclopedia.

 

Details

  • Title How Language Works: How Babies Babble, Words Change Meaning, and Languages Live or Die
  • Author David Crystal
  • Binding Paperback
  • Edition [ Edition: repri
  • Pages 512
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Avery Publishing Group, Garden City Park, New York, U.S.A
  • Date November 1, 2007
  • Features Bibliography, Index, Maps, Table of Contents
  • ISBN 9781583332917 / 158333291X
  • Weight 1.25 lbs (0.57 kg)
  • Dimensions 9 x 6 x 1.4 in (22.86 x 15.24 x 3.56 cm)
  • Library of Congress subjects Language and languages
  • Library of Congress Catalog Number 2007028115
  • Dewey Decimal Code 401.4

Media reviews

Citations

  • Booklist, 08/01/2007, Page 114

About the author

David Crystal is honorary professor of linguistics at the University of Wales, Bangor, and the editor of The Penguin Encyclopedia.

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