Synopsis
Blending the spirit of Eats, Shoots & Leaves with the science of The Language Instinct, an original inquiry into the development of that most essential-and mysterious-of human creations: Language
Language is mankind's greatest invention-except, of course, that it was never invented." So begins linguist Guy Deutscher's enthralling investigation into the genesis and evolution of language. If we started off with rudimentary utterances on the level of "man throw spear," how did we end up with sophisticated grammars, enormous vocabularies, and intricately nuanced degrees of meaning? Drawing on recent groundbreaking discoveries in modern linguistics, Deutscher exposes the elusive forces of creation at work in human communication, giving us fresh insight into how language emerges, evolves, and decays. He traces the evolution of linguistic complexity from an early "Me Tarzan" stage to such elaborate single-word constructions as the Turkish sehirlilestiremediklerimizdensiniz ("you are one of those whom we couldn't turn into a town dweller"). Arguing that destruction and creation in language are intimately entwined, Deutscher shows how these processes are continuously in operation, generating new words, new structures, and new meanings. As entertaining as it is erudite, The Unfolding of Language moves nimbly from ancient Babylonian to American idiom, from the central role of metaphor to the staggering triumph of design that is the Semitic verb, to tell the dramatic story and explain the genius behind a uniquely human faculty."synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
About the Author
Guy Deutscher is the author of The Unfolding of Language and Through the Language Glass. Formerly a fellow of St. John's College, Cambridge, and of the Department of Ancient Near Eastern Languages at the University of Leiden in the Netherlands, he is an honorary research fellow at the School of Languages, Linguistics and Cultures at the University of Manchester. He lives in Oxford, England.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
The Unfolding of Language
An Evolutionary Tour of Mankind's Greatest InventionBy Guy DeutscherOwl Books (NY)
Copyright © 2006 Guy DeutscherAll right reserved.
ISBN: 9780805080124
Chapter One
How do languages evolve? Why does language always change-and does it decline or does it progress? How did language ever become so complex? In The Unfolding of Language, Guy Deutscher responds to the big questions with big answers, along the way solving such mysteries as- why German maidens are neuter but German turnips are female
- how words manage to accomplish a complete U-turn in their meaning over a relatively short time-like the word "resent," which, in the seventeenth century, meant "appreciate" or "feel grateful for"
- why Islam, Muslim, and Solomon are all variations on one Semitic root, s-l-m ("be at peace")
- how the design of Sumerian (the language spoken 5,000 years ago by the people who kick-started history) is so sophisticated that even a pause in the middle of a word can convey specific information
- why we have feet and not foots
- how the French came to say "on the day of this day" when they mean "today"
- why most of the world's languages don't have a verb for "have"-and how one goes about expressing the notion of possession without it
- why human intuition-as evidenced by all human languages-discovered the connection between space and time thousands of years before Einstein
Continues...
Excerpted from The Unfolding of Languageby Guy Deutscher Copyright © 2006 by Guy Deutscher. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Other Popular Editions of the Same Title
Search results for The Unfolding of Language: An Evolutionary Tour of...
Stock Image
The Unfolding of Language: An Evolutionary Tour of Mankind's Greatest Invention
Seller: Evergreen Goodwill, Seattle, WA, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
paperback. Condition: Good. Seller Inventory # mon0000333373
Stock Image
The Unfolding of Language An E
Seller: World of Books (was SecondSale), Montgomery, IL, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: Good. Item in good condition and has highlighting/writing on text. Used texts may not contain supplemental items such as CDs, info-trac etc. Seller Inventory # 00099685066
Stock Image
The Unfolding of Language : An Evolutionary Tour of Mankind's Greatest Invention
Seller: Better World Books: West, Reno, NV, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: Good. Pages intact with minimal writing/highlighting. The binding may be loose and creased. Dust jackets/supplements are not included. Stock photo provided. Product includes identifying sticker. Better World Books: Buy Books. Do Good. Seller Inventory # 5393221-6
Stock Image
The Unfolding of Language : An Evolutionary Tour of Mankind's Greatest Invention
Seller: Better World Books, Mishawaka, IN, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: Good. Pages intact with minimal writing/highlighting. The binding may be loose and creased. Dust jackets/supplements are not included. Stock photo provided. Product includes identifying sticker. Better World Books: Buy Books. Do Good. Seller Inventory # 5393221-6
Stock Image
The Unfolding of Language : An Evolutionary Tour of Mankind's Greatest Invention
Seller: Better World Books: West, Reno, NV, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: Very Good. Pages intact with possible writing/highlighting. Binding strong with minor wear. Dust jackets/supplements may not be included. Stock photo provided. Product includes identifying sticker. Better World Books: Buy Books. Do Good. Seller Inventory # 8677093-6
Seller Image
The Unfolding of Language: An Evolutionary Tour of Mankind's Greatest Invention
Seller: Dream Books Co., Denver, CO, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: good. Gently used with minimal wear on the corners and cover. A few pages may contain light highlighting or writing, but the text remains fully legible. Dust jacket may be missing, and supplemental materials like CDs or codes may not be included. May be ex-library with library markings. Ships promptly! Seller Inventory # 4EKGRJ00DVC2_ns
Seller Image
The Unfolding of Language: An Evolutionary Tour of Mankind's Greatest Invention
Seller: 2nd Life Books, Burlington, NJ, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: very_good. Used book in very good condition. May have some minor wear. May NOT include discs, or access code or other supplemental material. Ships directly from Amazon and is eligible for Prime or super saver FREE shipping. We ship Monday-Saturday and respond to inquiries within 24 hours. Seller Inventory # BXM.BL9X
Stock Image
The Unfolding of Language: An Evolutionary Tour of Mankind's Greatest Invention
Published by
Holt Paperbacks (edition First Edition), 2006
ISBN 10: 0805080120
ISBN 13: 9780805080124
Used
Paperback
First Edition
Seller: BooksRun, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Paperback. Condition: Good. First Edition. It's a preowned item in good condition and includes all the pages. It may have some general signs of wear and tear, such as markings, highlighting, slight damage to the cover, minimal wear to the binding, etc., but they will not affect the overall reading experience. Seller Inventory # 0805080120-11-1
Seller Image
The Unfolding of Language: An Evolutionary Tour of Mankind's Greatest Invention
Seller: Goodwill Northern Illinois, Rockford, IL, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: acceptable. The book has obvious signs of wear which may include some damage to the cover, deeper corner dings, markings, or creases, but its integrity is intact. The binding may also be slightly damaged but its integrity is intact. There may also be possible writing in the margins and underlining and highlighting of text, but there are no missing pages or anything that would compromise the legibility or understanding of the text. Seller Inventory # NIV.0805080120.A
Seller Image
The Unfolding of Language: An Evolutionary Tour of Mankind's Greatest Invention
Seller: Blue Vase Books, Interlochen, MI, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: good. The item shows wear from consistent use, but it remains in good condition and works perfectly. All pages and cover are intact including the dust cover, if applicable . Spine may show signs of wear. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting. May NOT include discs, access code or other supplemental materials. Seller Inventory # BVV.0805080120.G