From Afrikaans to Zulu, almost 100 languages from the comprehensive Compendium of the World's Languages are featured in this concise version. Many articles have been revised.
The Concise Compendium presents a detailed comparative study of the major and many of the lesser-known languages of the world. Included are representatives of most language families, with samples of Amerindian, such as Navajo, Quechua and Mapudungu, and of African languages, such as Fulani and Nama; languages of the new independent states of the former Soviet Union, for example Uzbek and Belorussian; and languages of certain ethnic units aspiring to self-determination, such as Basque and Breton.
Throughout, the treatment is factual and jargon-free. Articles are ordered alphabetically and each has a standard structure for ease of reference, including:
* general historical and sociolinguistic introduction
* writing system
* sound system
* grammatical system
A passage from the Gospel of St John is used to illustrate those languages which have a written tradition. The scripts are explained in an appendix at the end of the book.


eBook available with sample pages: 0203018052

This second edition of The Routledge Concise Compendium of the World's Languages has been completely revised to provide up-to-date and accurate descriptions of a wide cross-section of natural-language systems. All cultural and historical notes as well as statistical data for each language have been checked, updated and in many cases expanded. Now offering an even broader range of languages including a greater number of the lesser-known ones, such as Cree, Maltese and Haitian Creole, this new edition of The Routledge Concise Compendium covers a total of 111 languages. Key features include: complete rewriting and systematization of the phonology sections for all languages provision of IPA symbol grids arranged by articulatory feature and by alphabetic resemblance to facilitate use of the new phonology sections expansion of morphology descriptions for all languages provision of new illustrative text samples addition of a glossary of technical terms comparative tables of the numerals 1-10 in all languages covered, and also grouped by family classification by genetic relationship of all languages covered. Using the wealth of recent developments and research in language typology and broadened availability of descriptive data, this new incarnation of The Routledge Concise Compendium brings a much-loved survey emphatically into the twenty-first century for a new generation of readers. The Routledge Concise Compendium of the World's Languages remains the ideal compact reference for all interested linguists and professionals alike. Gary King is Series Advisor for the Roultedge Colloquials and the author of numerous books on language and linguistics. He is also UCAS co-ordinator and a lecturer at a large sixth-form college. George L. Campbell worked for the BBC World Service and was a polyglot linguist and translator.

The Routledge Handbook of Scripts and Alphabets is a unique reference to the main scripts and alphabets of the world.

The Handbook presents over 60 alphabets covering an enormous scope of languages; from Amharic and Chinese to Thai and Cree. Full script tables are given for every language and each entry is accompanied by a detailed overview of its historical and linguistic context.

New to this second edition:

This handy resource is the ideal reference for all students and scholars of language and linguistics.

It has been brought to our attention that in some of the copies of the book there is an alignment error in the tables for Cyrillic Scripts (pages 88-90) and Roman Scripts (pages 140-44). Please contact us at [email protected] to receive replacement copies of the corrected tables, free of charge.

Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience caused.

The Routledge Handbook of Scripts and Alphabets is a unique reference to the main scripts and alphabets of the world. The Handbook presents over 60 alphabets covering an enormous scope of languages; from Amharic and Chinese to Thai and Cree. Full script tables are given for every language and each entry is accompanied by a detailed overview of its historical and linguistic context. New to this second edition: enhanced introduction discussing the basic principles and strategies utilized by world writing systems expanded to include more writing systems improved presentation of non-Roman scripts. organised into ancient, contemporary and autochthonous writing systems many new entries on fascinating and lesser-known writing systems This handy resource is the ideal reference for all students and scholars of language and linguistics. It has been brought to our attention that in some of the copies of the book there is an alignment error in the tables for Cyrillic Scripts (pages 88-90) and Roman Scripts (pages 140-44). Please contact us at [email protected] to receive replacement copies of the corrected tables, free of charge. Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience caused.

Through the real-life context of one child learning to be bilingual and biliterate, this book raises questions and provides a context for pre-service and practicing teachers to understand and reflect on how children learn to read and write in multiple languages. Highlighting the social and cognitive advantages of biliteracy, its purpose is to help teachers better understand the complexity by which young children become biliterate as they actively construct meaning and work through tensions resulting from their everyday life circumstances. Perspectives regarding identity and language ideologies are presented to help teachers refine their own pedagogical approaches to teaching linguistically diverse children. Readers are engaged in understanding early biliteracy through a process of articulating and questioning their own assumptions and beliefs about learning in multiple languages and literacies.

This third edition of Compendium of the World s Languages has been thoroughly revised to provide up-to-date and accurate descriptions of a wide selection of natural language systems. All cultural and historical notes as well as statistical data have been checked, updated and in many cases expanded.

Presenting an even broader range of languages and language families, including new coverage of Australian aboriginal languages and expanded treatment of North American and African languages, this new edition offers a total of 342 entries over nearly 2000 pages.

Key features include:

• Complete rewriting, systematization and regularisation of the phonology sections
• Provision of IPA symbol grids arranged by articulatory feature and by alphabetic resemblance to facilitate use of the new phonology sections
• Expansion of morphology descriptions for most major languages
• Provision of new illustrative text samples
• Addition of a glossary of technical terms and an expanded bibliography
• Comparative tables of the numerals 1-10 in a representative range of languages, and also grouped by family

Drawing upon a wealth of recent developments and research in language typology and broadened availability of descriptive data, this new incarnation of George Campbell s astounding Compendium brings a much-loved survey emphatically into the twenty-first century for a new generation of readers.

Scholarly, comprehensive and highly accessible, Compendium of the World s Languages remains the ideal reference for all interested linguists and professionals alike.

Through the real-life context of one child learning to be bilingual and biliterate, this book raises questions and provides a context for pre-service and practicing teachers to understand and reflect on how children learn to read and write in multiple languages. Highlighting the social and cognitive advantages of biliteracy, its purpose is to help teachers better understand the complexity by which young children become biliterate as they actively construct meaning and work through tensions resulting from their everyday life circumstances. Perspectives regarding identity and language ideologies are presented to help teachers refine their own pedagogical approaches to teaching linguistically diverse children. Readers are engaged in understanding early biliteracy through a process of articulating and questioning their own assumptions and beliefs about learning in multiple languages and literacies.