Despite centuries of intertribal contact, the American Indian peoples of northwestern California have continued to speak a variety of distinct languages. At the same time, they have come to embrace a common way of life based on salmon fishing and shared religious practices. In this thought-provoking re-examination of the hypothesis of linguistic relativity, Sean O'Neill looks closely at the Hupa, Yurok, and Karuk peoples to explore the striking juxtaposition between linguistic diversity and relative cultural uniformity among their communities. O'Neill examines intertribal contact, multilingualism, storytelling, and historical change among the three tribes, focusing on the traditional culture of the region as it existed during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. He asks important historical questions at the heart of the linguistic relativity hypothesis: Have the languages in fact grown more similar as a result of contact, multilingualism, and cultural convergence? Or have they instead maintained some of their striking grammatical and semantic differences? Through comparison of the three languages, O'Neill shows that long-term contact among the tribes intensified their linguistic differences, creating unique Hupa, Yurok, and Karuk identities. If language encapsulates worldview, as the principle of linguistic relativity suggests, then this region's linguistic diversity is puzzling. Analyzing patterns of linguistic accommodation as seen in the semantics of space and time, grammatical classification, and specialized cultural vocabularies, O'Neill resolves the apparent paradox by assessing long-term effects of contact.

We are fascinated by what words sound like. This fascination also drives us to search for meaning in sound - thereby contradicting the principle of the arbitrariness of the linguistic sign. Phonesthemes, onomatopoeia or rhyming compounds all share the property of carrying meaning by virtue of what they sound like, simply because language users establish an association between form and meaning. By drawing on a wide array of examples, ranging from conventionalized words and expressions to brand names and slogans, this book offers a comprehensive account of the role that sound symbolism and rhyme/alliteration plays in English, and by doing so, advocates a more relaxed view of the category 'morpheme' that is able to incorporate less regular word-formation processes.

In Anatolian Verbal Stem Formation, David Sasseville offers an extensive classification of the Luwian, Lycian and Lydian verbal stem classes. This serves as a basis for reconstructing the Proto-Luwic stage and subsequent comparison with Hittite, providing new insights into the Proto-Anatolian verbal system and by extension into the reconstruction of Proto-Indo-European. Besides its contribution to the study of verbal morphology, the present book also provides significant insights into the philology of the Anatolian languages. The detailed analyses of the synchronic data, including a philological survey of verbal forms and paradigms for the individual stem classes, enhance our understanding of Luwian, Lycian and Lydian and thereby benefit the fields of Hittitology and other studies on the Classical period in Asia Minor.

This study examines the way in which the identity of foreign workers and foreign writers in Germany is negotiated on the basis of language use and literary activity. The book presents an in-depth look at the history of immigration to Germany since the turn of the century and a description of the social situation of foreigners living there at the dawn of the twenty-first century. It emphasizes the variable nature of the German used by foreign workers in the Federal Republic and documents changes that have occurred in the field of Gastarbeiterlinguistik, in particular the shift of focus away from universal features to interpersonal aspects of foreigner-native communication. Foreign worker German is neither pidgin nor creole but rather a range of lects, some of which are fossilized at a very low level, others of which progress toward the standard dialect. The work concludes with a selective history of foreign worker literature, which emphasizes the parallels between linguistic and literary development in the immigrant community.

A lively, authoritative, and up-to-date look at the world of rhyming slang, from its origins in London's 19th-century underworld to the buzzwords of 21st-century popney. Arranged by topic, including Crime, Food and Drink, Illness, Money, Sex, and Sport, this highly readable collection is at once an informative source to the story behind some of our most lively expressions and a browser's delight.

This unique and authoritative dictionary contains over 1,100 of the most widely used proverbs in English, utilizing the latest research from the Oxford Languages team to source them. This edition has been thoroughly revised and updated, broadening the cultural range of the proverbs selected, and covering sayings of international origins. With a strong emphasis on concisely explaining the meaning of the proverbs described, the dictionary also provides additional examples of usage, and includes a fascinating history for many entries. Arranged in A-Z order and with a useful thematic index, A Dictionary of Proverbs is ideal for browsing and perfectly suited for quick reference. Look up your old favourites, learn punchy new expressions to get your point across, and find the answer to that crossword clue. It is never too late to learn: find proverbs relevant to every aspect of life in this entertaining and informative collection.

This book offers a comprehensive overview of the syntactic variation of the dialects of Spanish. More precisely, it covers Spanish theoretical syntax that takes as its data source non-standard grammatical phenomena. Approaching the syntactic variation of Spanish dialects opens a door not only to the intricacies of the language, but also to a set of challenges of linguistic theory itself, including language variation, language contact, bilingualism, and diglossia. The volume is divided into two main sections, the first focusing on Iberian Spanish and the second on Latin American Spanish. Chapters cover a wide range of syntactic constructions and phenomena, such as clitics, agreement, subordination, differential object marking, expletives, predication, doubling, word order, and subjects. This volume constitutes a milestone in the study of syntactic variation, setting the stage for future work not only in vernacular Spanish, but all languages.

This book was first published in 1925 and was intended to be a dictionary of first world war slang. In the 1920s, "the war to end all wars" was still fresh in everyone's minds and the authors were commissioned to capture the combatants' sayings and expressions. Interestingly, although written nearly fifteen years before the next global conflict, the term "first world war" appears. Colonel Repington named his published history of the war as such. He did not want to flatter "the Boche" by calling it the "German War" so instead chose what became the prescient or perhaps pessimistic "first world war". This book was primarily designed as a Dictionary of War Slang at the instance of the authorities of the Imperial War Museum, using materials contributed by officers and men of all branches of the Service who had served with the British and Dominion forces. A large proportion of the slang of the war, however, comprised old pre-War Army and Navy expressions, which, in the War, were either adopted as they stood, so to speak, or else were altered and adapted to suit existing circumstances, and the enlargement of the original plan became unavoidable. The scope of the work has also been further extended to include a considerable number of Service terms, familiar among people in general, as being of interest in themselves or through their origins. A number of American service words and expressions, particularly some that became familiar among British troops during the war, have been included.

This book, by a group of leading international scholars, outlines the history of the spoken dialects of Arabic from the Arab Conquests of the seventh century up to the present day. It specifically investigates the evolution of Arabic as a spoken language, in contrast to the many existing studies that focus on written Classical or Modern Standard Arabic. The volume begins with a discursive introduction that deals with important issues in the general scholarly context, including the indigenous myth and probable reality of the history of Arabic; Arabic dialect geography and typology; types of internally and externally motivated linguistic change; social indexicalisation; and pidginization and creolization in Arabic-speaking communities. Most chapters then focus on developments in a specific region - Mauritania, the Maghreb, Egypt, the Levant, the Northern Fertile Crescent, the Gulf, and South Arabia - with one exploring Judaeo-Arabic, a group of varieties historically spread over a wider area. The remaining two chapters in the volume examine individual linguistic features of particular historical interest and controversy, specifically the origin and evolution of the b- verbal prefix, and the adnominal linker -an/-in. The volume will be of interest to scholars and students of the linguistic and social history of Arabic as well as to comparative linguists interested in topics such as linguistic typology and language change.

The book is a collection of adapted humour inspired by other writers, interspersed with some original texts and a handful of philosophical views, mostly wrapped in humour. The texts include oblique references to adult obsessions and mild vernacular language in common usage by many aged 12 years and over. It is a joke book from cover to cover, most of which is unsuitable for younger children and anyone who cannot read without moving their lips. The book would have been in colour had I found my crayons.

Human language is a weird communication system: it has more in common with birdsong than with the calls of other primates. Jean Aitchison explores the origins of human language and how it has evolved. She likens the search to a vast prehistoric jigsaw puzzle, in which numerous fragments of evidence must be assembled. Such evidence is pieced together from a mixture of linguistic and nonlinguistic sources such as evolution theory, archaeology, psychology, and anthropology. This is an accessible and wide-ranging introduction to the origins and evolution of human language.

Audio recordings of English are available from the first half of the twentieth century and thus complement the written data sources for the recent history of the language. This book is the first to bring together a team of globally recognised scholars to document and analyse these early recordings in a single volume. Looking at examples of regional varieties of English from England, Scotland, Ireland, the USA, Canada and other anglophone countries, the volume explores both standard and vernacular varieties, and demonstrates how accents of English have changed between the late nineteenth century and the present day. The socio-phonetic examinations of the recordings will be of interest to scholars of historical linguistics, the history of the English language, language variation and change, phonetics, and phonology.

The colour coded verb table allows the reader to focus all of their attention on one colour tense at a time enabling them to make immediate connections between the subject and the verb! The Valencian LearnBots are a great resource for dyslexic learners, children and adult learners. Children can start to identify what a verb is and the way it changes with the subject of the sentence. Advanced learners can go on to learn the different tenses and improve their accuracy. This book also works along-side its very own kick-starter app on Googles Android and Apples App Store allowing the user the ability to hear some of the conjugations being read out loud by a native speaker. The app also allows the user to test their ability in remembering verbs and conjugations.

Careful writers and speakers agree that cliches are generally to be avoided. However, nearly all of us continue to use them. Why do they persist in our language? In It's Been Said Before, lexicographer Orin Hargraves examines the peculiar idea and power of the cliche. He helps readers understand why certain phrases became cliches and why they should be avoided - or why they still have life left in them. Indeed, cliches can be useful - even powerful. And few people even agree on which expressions are cliches and which are not. Many regard any frequent idiom as a cliche, and a phrase regarded as a cliche in one context may be seen simply as an effective expression in another. Examples drawn from data about actual usage support Hargraves' identification of true cliches. They also illuminate his commentary on usage problems and helpful suggestions for eliminating cliches where they serve no useful purpose. Concise and lively, It's Been Said Before serves as a guide to the most overused phrases in the English language - and to phrases that are used exactly as often as they should be.

Scots: The Mither Tongue is a classic of contemporary Scottish culture and essential reading for those who care about their country's identity in the twenty-first century. It is a passionately written history of how the Scots have come to speak the way they do and has acted as a catalyst for radical changes in attitude towards the language. In this completely revised edition, Kay vigorously renews the social, cultural and political debate on Scotland's linguistic future, and argues convincingly for the necessity to retain and extend Scots if the nation is to hold on to its intrinsic values. Kay places Scots in an international context, comparing and contrasting it with other lesser-used European languages, while at home questioning the Scottish Executive's desire to pay anything more than lip service to this crucial part of our national identity. Language is central to people's existence, and this vivid account celebrates the survival of Scots in its various dialects, its literature and song. The mither tongue is a national treasure that thrives in many parts of the country and underpins the speech of everyone who calls themselves a Scot.

From baby boomers with 'groovy' and 'yuppie' to Generation X with 'whatever' and 'like,' each generation inevitably generates original words that come out of its social and historical context. Those words not only tell us a great deal about the people in those generations, but also highlight the differences between them and other generations. In this book, Allan Metcalf, author of OK, uses a special framework of defining American generations to show that each generation of those born within a particular 20-year time period can be identified and characterized by words it chooses to use. By sampling from as far back as the American Revolution, Metcalf carefully constructs a comprehensive account of the history and usage of words associated with each generation in the American language. With special attention to the differences in vocabulary among the generations currently living-the sometimes awkward Millennials, the grunge music of Generation X, hippies among the Boomers, and bobbysoxers among the Silents - From Skeddadle to Selfie compiles dozens of words we have come to recognize or use and tells the unheard stories of each in its role of accompanying its generation through the times.

This dictionary covers a multitude of Scots words and expressions, some of which have entered into English worldwide, some of which are peculiarly Scottish and communicate much about Scotland's unique culture and society. Often light in tone, it offers valuable insight into the linguistic development of Scots.

Tradition, community, and pride are fundamental aspects of the history of Appalachia, and the language of the region is a living testament to its rich heritage. Despite the persistence of unflattering stereotypes and cultural discrimination associated with their style of speech, Appalachians have organized to preserve regional dialects -- complex forms of English peppered with words, phrases, and pronunciations unique to the area and its people. Talking Appalachian examines these distinctive speech varieties and emphasizes their role in expressing local history and promoting a shared identity.

Beginning with a historical and geographical overview of the region that analyzes the origins of its dialects, this volume features detailed research and local case studies investigating their use. The contributors explore a variety of subjects, including the success of African American Appalachian English and southern Appalachian English speakers in professional and corporate positions. In addition, editors Amy D. Clark and Nancy M. Hayward provide excerpts from essays, poetry, short fiction, and novels to illustrate usage. With contributions from well-known authors such as George Ella Lyon and Silas House, this balanced collection is the most comprehensive, accessible study of Appalachian language available today.

If you believe idioms are a "tough nut to crack," this Dictionary of Idioms will help you dispel that belief; you would surely abandon your opinion of idioms being a bunch of insignificant words to that of a lively one to use to attract attention of readers and listeners. You will discover 'idioms' can add beauty, remove unwanted seriousness and bring life to any conversation - written or spoken. Rightly and scientifically designed, this dictionary contains hundreds of common idioms, sayings, and expressions. Use of everyday idioms bring colour to any writing and speech. Since they don't really mean, word by word, what they say, idioms can stump even regular writers and speakers. When and where to uidioms becomes 'as easy as pie' with this Dictionary of Idioms. Alphabetical listing makes searching idioms a 'piece of cake.' Whether you are fluent in English or just a learner, this dictionary can help you read, write and speak with new understanding and a lot more fun! Special features: o Widely used and popular idioms given with meanings o Inclusion of foreign idioms currently in use in English language o Arranged Alphabetically: A - Z o Useful grammatical information given as Appendices An authoritative dictionary to spice up written and oral communication for students, writers, speakers and interested readers!

Shape up your English with thousands of idioms.

Whether you are a learner of English who is having difficulty understanding expressions in everyday speech or a native speaker who wants to expand your written or spoken range, you need a comprehensive reference for idioms, common phrases, and sayings of American English. "McGraw-Hill's American Idioms Dictionary" shows you the ropes of English and helps you: . . Expand your English-speaking abilities with these 14,000-plus expressions, proverbs, and common sayings, listed alphabetically . Use American idioms correctly by following the many helpful examples . Easily find the right phrase by one of its key words . . .

Some examples of the colorful English language, as spoken by Americans: .

at peace relaxed and happy
. every trick in the book every deceptive method known
. Johnny-on-the-spot someone who is in the right place at the right time
. make a killing to have a great success, especially in making money
. nine-to-five job a job with normal daytime hours
. scream bloody murder to complain bitterly
. take a powder to leave; to leave town

Slang, writes Michael Adams, is poetry on the down low, and sometimes lowdown poetry on the down low, but rarely, if ever, merely lowdown. It is the poetry of everyday speech, the people's poetry, and it deserves attention as language playing on the cusp of art. In Slang: The People's Poetry, Adams covers this perennially interesting subject in a serious but highly engaging way, illuminating the fundamental question "What is Slang" and defending slang--and all forms of nonstandard English--as integral parts of the American language. Why is an expression like "bed head" lost in a lexical limbo, found neither in slang nor standard dictionaries? Why are snow-boarding terms such as "fakie," "goofy foot," "ollie" and "nollie" not considered slang? As he addresses these and other lexical curiosities, Adams reveals that slang is used in part to define groups, distinguishing those who are "down with it" from those who are "out of it." Slang is also a rebellion against the mainstream. It often irritates those who color within the lines--indeed, slang is meant to irritate, sometimes even to shock. But slang is also inventive language, both fun to make and fun to use. Rather than complain about slang as "bad" language, Adams urges us to celebrate slang's playful resistance to the commonplace and to see it as the expression of an innate human capacity, not only for language, but for poetry.

A unique creole language spoken on the coastal islands and adjacent mainland of South Carolina and Georgia, Gullah existed as an isolated and largely ignored linguistic phenomenon until the publication of Lorenzo Dow Turner's landmark volume Africanisms in the Gullah Dialect. In his classic treatise, Turner, the first professionally trained African American linguist, focused on a people whose language had long been misunderstood, lifted a shroud that had obscured the true history of Gullah, and demonstrated that it drew important linguistic features directly from the languages of West Africa. Initially published in 1949, this groundbreaking work of Afrocentric scholarship opened American minds to a little-known culture while initiating a means for the Gullah people to reclaim and value their past. The book presents a reference point for today's discussions about ever-present language varieties, Ebonics, and education, offering important reminders about the subtleties and power of racial and cultural prejudice.

In their introduction to the volume, Katherine Wyly Mille and Michael B. Montgomery set the text in its sociolinguistic context, explore recent developments in the celebration of Gullah culture, and honor Turner with a recounting of his life and scholarly accomplishments.

Ebonics Is Good is a humble response to the clarion call by Mwalimu Carter G. Woodson, Mwalimu Frantz Fanon, and Mwalimu Malcolm X, among others, to address our African language question. As all of these great Africans and others have shown throughout history, it behooves us to counter the assumption of the ill-informed that Ebonics is bad by demonstrating that it is a GOOD language and worthy of respect. Ebonics Is Good explores the following topics: Linguistic Reality of African American English Sociolinguistics of African American English Politico-Sociolinguistic Reality of African American English Social Construction of Ebonics: A Fasoldian Perspective The Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) Initiative Linguistic Connections between the African, Jamaican and Negro National Anthems