The endangered languages crisis is widely acknowledged among scholars who deal with languages and indigenous peoples as one of the most pressing problems facing humanity, posing moral, practical, and scientific issues of enormous proportions. Simply put, no area of the world is immune from language endangerment. The Oxford Handbook of Endangered Languages, in 39 chapters, provides a comprehensive overview of the efforts that are being undertaken to deal with this crisis. A comprehensive reference reflecting the breadth of the field, the Handbook presents in detail both the range of thinking about language endangerment and the variety of responses to it, and broadens understanding of language endangerment, language documentation, and language revitalization, encouraging further research. The Handbook is organized into five parts. Part 1, Endangered Languages, addresses the fundamental issues that are essential to understanding the nature of the endangered languages crisis. Part 2, Language Documentation, provides an overview of the issues and activities of concern to linguists and others in their efforts to record and document endangered languages. Part 3, Language Revitalization, includes approaches, practices, and strategies for revitalizing endangered and sleeping ("dormant") languages. Part 4, Endangered Languages and Biocultural Diversity, extends the discussion of language endangerment beyond its conventional boundaries to consider the interrelationship of language, culture, and environment, and the common forces that now threaten the sustainability of their diversity. Part 5, Looking to the Future, addresses a variety of topics that are certain to be of consequence in future efforts to document and revitalize endangered languages.

This workbook is designed for use with the Elementary Mandarin Chinese Textbook and offers a wealth of carefully-designed practice activities to help you solidify every aspect of your Chinese skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. It includes extensive interactive drills, exercises and other practice materials. Online audio files are available for use in the relevant exercises. The lessons in this workbook correspond to the 24 lessons in the Elementary Mandarin Chinese Textbook. The materials in this workbook are meant to be completed by students outside of class to strengthen and consolidate their understanding of the materials in the textbook. Lessons 1 and 2 of the Workbook contain exercises to learn to read and pronounce the Pinyin alphabet along with simple classroom expressions. They also introduce 48 basic Chinese characters. Beginning with Lesson 3, each lesson of the workbook contains two parts. Each part has two sets of listening comprehension exercises, one translation exercise, one character practice sheet, and one reading and writing exercise. Lessons 13 and 24 of the textbook are review lessons and therefore have no corresponding workbook materials.

This volume gathers papers from the first conference ever to be held on the disappearance of writing systems, in Oxford in March 2004. While the invention and decipherment of writing systems have long been focuses of research, their eclipse or replacement have been little studied. Because writing is so important in many cultures and civilizations, its disappearance - followed by a period without it or by replacement by a different writing system - is of almost equal significance to invention as a mark of radical change. Probably more writing systems have disappeared than survived in the last five thousand years. Case studies from the Old and New Worlds are presented, ranging over periods from the first millennium BC to the present. In order to address many types of transmission, the broadest possible definition of 'writing' is used, notably including Mexican pictography and the Andean khipu system.One chapter discusses the larger proportion of known human societies which have not possessed complex material codes like writing, offering an alternative perspective on the long-term transmission of socially salient subjects. A concluding essay draws out common themes and offers an initial synthesis of results. This volume offers a new perspective on approaches to writing that will be significant for the understanding of writing systems and their social functions, literacy, memory, and high-cultural communication systems in general.

Die Gesellschaft fur deutsche Sprache (GfdS), 1947 als Nachfolgeorganisation des Deutschen Sprachvereins gegrundet, trat ein problematisches Erbe an. Die personelle und ideelle Verflechtung der beiden Einrichtungen trug zunachst zu einer Konservierung uberkommenen Gedankengutes bei. Erst nach heftigen internen Debatten uber das Vereinsziel Sprachpflege begann eine vorsichtige Abgrenzung der GfdS von ihrem Vorganger, in deren Folge sie sich als anerkannte Sprachpflegeeinrichtung etablieren konnte.

Object Lessons is a series of short, beautifully designed books about the hidden lives of ordinary things. Why do we sign our names? How can a squiggle both enslave and liberate? Signatures often require a witness—as if the scrawl itself is not enough. What other kinds of beliefs and longings justify our signing practices? Signature addresses these questions as it roams from a roundtable on the Greek island of Syros, to a scene of handwriting analysis conducted in an English pub, from a wedding in Moscow, where guests sign the bride’s body, to a San Franciscan tattoo parlor interested in arcane forms. The signature’s history encompasses ancient handprints on cave walls, autograph hunters, the branding of slaves, metaphysical poetry, medical malpractice, hip-hop lyrics, legal challenges to electronic signatures, ice cores harvested from Greenland, and tales of forgery and autopens. Part cultural chronicle, part travelogue, Signature pursues the identifying marks made by people, animals, and planetary forces, revealing the stories and fantasies hidden in their signatures. Object Lessons is published in partnership with an essay series in The Atlantic.

The Atlantic Alphabet Beach Song Imagination and language are important ingredients for feeling good ourselves. The Atlantic Alphabet Beach Song encourages children to enjoy hearing sounds, listening to rhythm and rhyme, and along the way, learn some new words. For fun, read this book out loud and see how many words fit into the alphabet. Phyllis Levine's other books include Small Pleasures, a poetry book that views nature in its many forms, and an inspirational fiction novel, titled Matilda. The Matilda series continues with At the Skylight with Matilda, Matilda's Way and What's up Matilda? Another novel is presently in progress and sure to be enjoyed by readers of all ages.

This volume gathers papers from the first conference ever to be held on the disappearance of writing systems, in Oxford in March 2004. While the invention and decipherment of writing systems have long been focuses of research, their eclipse or replacement have been little studied. Because writing is so important in many cultures and civilizations, its disappearance - followed by a period without it or by replacement by a different writing system - is of almost equal significance to invention as a mark of radical change. Probably more writing systems have disappeared than survived in the last five thousand years. Case studies from the Old and New Worlds are presented, ranging over periods from the first millennium BC to the present. In order to address many types of transmission, the broadest possible definition of 'writing' is used, notably including Mexican pictography and the Andean khipu system. One chapter discusses the larger proportion of known human societies which have not possessed complex material codes like writing, offering an alternative perspective on the long-term transmission of socially salient subjects. There is a concluding essay that draws out common themes and offers an initial synthesis of results. The volume offers a new perspective on approaches to writing that will be significant for the understanding of writing systems and their social functions, literacy, memory, and high-cultural communication systems in general.

Equips Students with Essential Tools to Quickly Grasp Akkadian and Move into Translation Basics of Akkadian: A Complete Grammar, Workbook, and Lexicon, by Gordon P. Hugenberger with Nancy L. Erickson, is a one-semester introductory textbook to the Akkadian language. The grammar provides students with essential tools in order to quickly grasp the Akkadian language and move into translation. Designed around the Laws of Hammurabi, each chapter includes: Explanation of grammatical points Signs that need to be learned Vocabulary Exercises Short contributions that highlight the unique significance of learning Akkadian for the studies of the Hebrew Bible are also included throughout the grammar. By the end of the grammar, students will have: Read through a sixth of the Laws of Hammurabi Learned how to read Neo-Assyrian script Transliterate that script, normalize the transcription, and translate Robust appendices at the back of the book include major paradigms, a list of cuneiform signs, an alphabetical list of V, CV and VC cuneiform signs, and a complete Akkadian glossary. Basics of Akkadian is designed for classroom use as well as the independent learner. Students will acquire all the necessary tools to either pursue additional studies of the Akkadian language or to utilize the information gained for better understanding the cognitive environment of the biblical world and to engage thoughtfully and carefully with Akkadian literature.

Users requiring a quick and handy reference work for Indonesian, particularly when they are out and about, need look no further than the Tuttle Pocket Indonesian Dictionary. This dictionary has been specially designed for foreigners working or traveling in Indonesia. It is equally useful for Indonesians who live abroad or in an English-speaking environment. No knowledge of Indonesian grammar or word formation is necessary to use this helpful dictionary--simply look up the word as you hear or read it, and you'll quickly find it's meaning. This is a revolutionary feature that most other Indonesian dictionaries are lacking. Special features of this Indonesian dictionary include: Covers the 15,000 most common Indonesian and English words. A useful pronunciation guide. A small, compact size makes it portable and lightweight. Both Indonesian-English and English-Indonesian sections. Special emphasis is given to words vital in daily use, important in business and cultural settings, and useful to travelers. The entries in both sections contain common idioms and expressions, as well as up-to-date IT and Internet vocabulary. There are no other authoritative pocket dictionaries of Indonesian. The Oxford Starter's Indonesian-English Dictionary and the Tuttle Concise Indonesian Dictionary are larger dictionaries with more entries, but these are aimed at students rather than general users.

The Life of Mashtots' is mostly praise for the inventor of the Armenian alphabet-the only inventor of an ancient alphabet known by name-and progenitor of Armenian literacy that began with the translation of the Bible. Written three years after his death, by an early disciple named Koriwn, it narrates the master's endeavors in search for letters, the establishment of schools, and the ensuing literary activity that yielded countless translations of religious texts known in the Early Church of the East. As an encomium from Late Antiquity, The Life of Mashtots' exhibits all the literary features of the genre to which it belongs, delineated through rhetorical analysis by Abraham Terian, who comments on the entire document almost phrase by phrase. Translated from the latest Armenian edition of the text (2003), this edition of The Life of Mashtots' includes a facing English translation and commentary. The extraordinary narrative parades historical characters including the Patriarch of the Armenian Church, Catholicos Sahak (d. 439), the Arsacid King of Armenia, Vramshapuh (r. 401-417), and the Roman Emperor of the East, Theodosius II (r. 408-450). Koriwn is an eminently inspiring rhetorical writer and one of the first four authors known to write in the newly invented script. The marked influence of The Life of Mashtots' is discernible in subsequent Armenian writings of the fifth century, dubbed 'The Golden Era'.

Bernhard Bischoff (1906-1991) was one of the most renowned scholars of medieval palaeography of the twentieth century. His most outstanding contribution to learning was in the field of Carolingian studies, where his work is based on the catalogue of all extant ninth-century manuscripts and fragments. In this book, Michael Gorman has selected and translated seven of his classic essays on aspects of eighth- and ninth-century culture. They include an investigation of the manuscript evidence and the role of books in the transmission of culture from the sixth to the ninth century, and studies of the court libraries of Charlemagne and Louis the Pious. Bischoff also explores centres of learning outside the court in terms of the writing centres and the libraries associated with major monastic and cathedral schools respectively. This rich collection provides a full, coherent study of Carolingian culture from a number of different yet interdependent aspects, providing insights for scholars and students alike.

This is a complete and easy-to-use guide for reading and writing traditional Chinese characters. Reading and Writing Chinese has been the leading text for foreign students and teachers of the Chinese writing system since it was first published. This completely revised edition draws on the lessons learnt from the use of the book in classrooms so as to provide a more convenient and up-to-date introduction to written Chinese. Over 1,100 new combinations of characters have been added, increasing the total vocabulary significantly to about 4,500 items. There are also new notes on usage to give students insight into the contemporary state of the Chinese language. The student's ability to read Chinese and write Chinese are reinforced throughout. For each of the basic 1,062 characters, the pronunciation, definition and derivation are given, with examples of the use of most words and a chart showing how to write each character. Memorization tips and cautionary cross-reference to look-alike characters are also provided, as well as notes to help clarify those overlooked aspects of the Chinese writing system. Key features of this book: The Student's 1,020 List and the Official 2,000 List. Over 2,000 characters and 4,500 vocabulary items. Pronunciations given in standard Hanyu Pinyin Ronamized form Memorization hints and stroke-order diagrams. Hong Kong/Taiwan and China/Singapore forms. Traditional and modern radical systems. The best-selling student's guide

Tocharian and Indo-European Studies is an international scholarly journal dedicated to the study of two closely related Indo-European languages, Tocharian A and B, attested in Central Asian manuscripts from the second half of the first millennium AD. This volume contains 11 articles by some of the world's leading specialists on Tocharian, as well as reviews of the most important publications in the field. The important article by Werner Winter was one of the last to be written by this outstanding scholar.

Japanese Kanji and Kana Workbook offers a systematic approach to learning Japanese characters. It is designed to be used with the best-selling Japanese Kanji & Kana: A Guide to the Japanese Writing System. Presenting all 92 Hiragana and Katakana and 617 high-frequency Kanji characters, this character workbook teaches you how to write the Kanji and Kana neatly and correctly. Included for each character are the Japanese and Chinese readings, stroke order writing guides, English meanings, vocabulary, radicals, and ample space for writing practice. This valuable Japanese language book also includes an introduction explaining how to begin learning the Japanese writing system and two Kanji indexes--one by radicals, the other by readings. The 617 kanji characters provided cover all Kanji required to take the AP Japanese Language and Culture Exam and the JLPT levels N5, N4, and N3.

One of the remarkable facts about the history of Western culture is that we are still in a position to read large amounts of the literature produced in classical Greece and Rome despite the fact that for at least a millennium and a half all copies had to be produced by hand and were subject to the hazards of fire, flood, and war. This book explains how the texts survived and gives an account of the reasons why it was thought worthwhile to spend the necessary effort to preserve them for future generations. In the second edition a section of notes was included, and a new chapter was added to deal with some aspects of scholarship since the Renaissance. In the third edition (1991), the authors responded to the urgent need to take account of the very large number of discoveries in this rapidly advancing field of knowledge by substantially revising or enlarging certain sections. The last two decades have seen further advances, and this revised edition is designed to take account of them.

The Qur'an is the living source of all Islamic teaching, and is of singular importance to those interested in Islam and the study of religions. Despite this, there exists a long-felt lack of research tools for English first-language speakers who wish to access the Qur'an in the original Arabic. The Dictionary of Qur'anic Usage is the first comprehensive, fully-researched and contextualised Arabic-English dictionary of Qur'anic usage, compiled in accordance with modern lexicographical methods by scholars who have a lifelong immersion in Qur'anic Studies. Based on Classical Arabic dictionaries and Qur'an commentaries, this work also emphasises the role of context in determining the meaning-scatter of each vocabulary item. Illustrative examples from Qur'anic verses are provided in support of the definitions given for each context in which a particular word occurs, with cross-references to other usages. Frequently occurring grammatical particles are likewise thoroughly explained, insofar as they are used in conveying various nuances of meaning in the text.