Synopses & Reviews
The
International Encyclopedia of Linguistics, 2nd Edition encompasses the full range of the contemporary field of linguistics, including historical, comparative, formal, mathematical, functional, and philosophical linguistics with special attention given to interrelations within branches of linguistics and to relations of linguistics with other disciplines. Areas of intersection with the social and behavioral sciences--ethnolinguistics, sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics, and behavioral linguistics--receive major coverage, along with interdisciplinary work in language and literature, mathematical linguistics, computational linguistics, and applied linguistics.
Longer entries in the International Encyclopedia of Linguistics, ranging up to four thousand words, survey the major fields of study--for example, anthropological linguistics, history of linguistics, semantics, and phonetics. Shorter entries treat specific topics within these fields, such as code switching, sound symbolism, and syntactic features. Other short entries define and discuss technical terms used within the various subfields or provide sketches of the careers of important scholars in the history of linguistics, such as Leonard Bloomfield, Roman Jakobson, and Edward Sapir.
A major portion of the work is its extensive coverage of languages and language families. From those as familiar as English, Japanese, and the Romance languages to Hittite, Yoruba, and Nahuatl, all corners of the world receive treatment. Languages that are the subject of independent entries are analyzed in terms of their phonology, grammatical features, syntax, and writing systems. Lists attached to each article on a language group or family enumerate all languages, extinct or still spoken, within that group and provide detailed information on the number of known speakers, geographical range, and degree of intelligibility with other languages in the group. In this way, virtually every known language receives coverage.
For ease of reference and to aid research, the articles are alphabetically arranged, each signed by the contributor, supported by up-to-date bibliographies, line drawings, maps, tables, and diagrams, and readily accessible via a system of cross-references and a detailed index and synoptic outline. Authoritative, comprehensive, and innovative, the 2nd edition of the International Encyclopedia of Linguistics will be an indispensable addition to personal, public, academic, and research libraries and will introduce a new generation of readers to the complexities and concerns of this field of study.
Review
"This updated and expanded edition of the ten-year-old International Encyclopedia of Linguistics remains an important scholarly source, with well-considered changes to William Bright's original work. ...if your library found use for the first edition, you will want to replace it now. Recommended for all academic libraries." --Library Journal
Review
"This updated and expanded edition of the ten-year-old International Encyclopedia of Linguistics remains an important scholarly source, with well-considered changes to William Bright's original work. ...if your library found use for the first edition, you will want to replace it now. Recommended for
all academic libraries." --Library Journal
Review
"An essential reference work for linguists of various kinds, for linguistic anthropologists, and for anyone whose work involves regular use of language data. Moreover, the quality, accessibility, and interest of the contents make it enjoyable reading for its own sake."--
Anthropological Linguistics"If one wants a single comprehensive work...the choice should be the IEL....Highly recommended for all academic libraries, community college onwards."--Choice
"Invaluable for making easily accessible a great deal of factual information."--Times Literary Supplement
"The binding and layout are superb, th typography is a pleasure to read, and the diagrams are clear. I expected a great feast of compulsive reading, and I was not disappointed."--Times Higher Education Supplement
"This major work is destined to become a classic in the study of linguistics and adjacent fields....Belongs in the collections of all university libraries and in most large public libraries."--Library Journal
"An essential purchase for academic libraries supporting teaching and research in this discipline. Other academic and large public libraries should consider purchase for its coverage of interdisciplinary topics."--Booklist/RBB
"This is a splendid production. Comprehensive and easy to use, the encyclopedia manages to map the central concerns of contemporary linguistics in such a way that outsiders will not only be able to find what they are looking for but will also be persuaded to explore further....It seems to fill a gap in the reference material available to non-specialist researchers who need comprehensive, contemporary information on any area of linguistics."--Language and Literature
"A genuine achievement in information collection and dissemination....It is what an encyclopedia is meant to be."--TESOL Quarterly
"This is an excellent work, highly trustworthy, the very best in the field of linguistics but also in comparison with encyclopedias in other domains. It should be present in every library, not only linguistic or general, but also libraries of the social and psychological sciences, and of neurophysiology, mathematics, artificial intelligence, and the like."--Linguistics
Synopsis
A four-volume reference comprising approximately seven hundred alphabetically ordered entries, the IEL provides detailed and up-to-date information on all branches of linguistics. The IEL encompasses the full range of the contemporary field of linguistics, including historical, comparative, formal, mathematical, functional, and philosophical linguistics. It gives special attention to interrelations within branches of linguistics and to relations of linguistics with other disciplines, and covers areas of intersection with the social and behavioral sciences, as well as interdisciplinary work in language and literatures, mathematical linguistics, computational linguistics, and applied linguistics. Providing abundant examples with literal glosses and English translations, the IEL offers extensive coverage of languages and language families, from English and Japanese to Hittite and Yoruba. Bringing together the latest information on the diverse subject matters of linguistics, and including a network of cross references, this encyclopedia is an invaluable resource.
Table of Contents
v. 1. AAVE - Esperanto -- v. 2. Ethnography of speaking - Mamfe languages -- v. 3. Mande languages - Selection -- v. 4. Semantic and lexical change - Zulu.