*A fresh and engaging take on English grammar, exploring the subject as an intellectual challenge and aiming to reinvigorate interest in a traditionally dry field *grammar is a major part of any course on English language and linguistics and also is a topic of wide general interest; both authors are experienced in addressing these groups *the overall concept of seeing grammar as a set of puzzles and not a set of rules and the irreverent engaging style sets it apart from other titles

Laurie Bauer has expertly crafted a compendium of essential things for linguistics students to know - from the IPA chart to the Saussurean dichotomies, this book will be the constant companion of anyone undertaking studies of linguistics. Part reference work, part revision guide, and with tables providing summary information on some 300 languages, the book provides a new learning tool as a supplement to your usual textbooks.

*A fresh and engaging take on English grammar, exploring the subject as an intellectual challenge and aiming to reinvigorate interest in a traditionally dry field *grammar is a major part of any course on English language and linguistics and also is a topic of wide general interest; both authors are experienced in addressing these groups *the overall concept of seeing grammar as a set of puzzles and not a set of rules and the irreverent engaging style sets it apart from other titles

From "abbreviation" and "abessive" to "zero morph" and "zero-derivation," this invaluable little glossary translates complicated morphology terms and phrases into clear definitions. It covers both traditional and contemporary terminology, explaining fundamental terms in a comprehensive way for the beginner and revealing theoretical assumptions behind the labels for the more advanced reader. It can be read thematically to get a view of some of the fundamental issues in morphology by following links from one entry to another.

With an introductory, nontechnical overview of morphology for the beginner and an annotated bibliography with suggestions for further reading, its many cross-references link different approaches, related terms, and alternative terms. More extensive than the glossaries that appear in the back of linguistics textbooks, this book, thoroughly up to date, is a friendly at-your-side guide for anyone interested in the form and structure of words.

Routledge Language Workbooks are practical introductions to specific areas of language for absolute beginners. They provide comprehensive coverage of the area as well as a basis for further study. Language Workbooks can be used for independent study or as part of a taught class. Vocabulary: * covers issues such as the power of words to influence our perceptions * looks at the origins of words from English and other languages * explores the relationships between the meanings and shapes of words * examines the correlation of different kinds of words with different style levels * uses striking and entertaining examples to make fundamental points about the words we use * lays the groundwork for further study in morphology, lexical semantics, historical linguistics and lexicography.

Examines the ways language has changed in the twentieth century. It concentrates on standard English and takes a historical rather than sociolinguistic view of the changes which have occurred.

Routledge Language Workbooks are practical introductions to specific areas of language for absolute beginners. They provide comprehensive coverage of the area as well as a basis for further study. Language Workbooks can be used for independent study or as part of a taught class.
Vocabulary:
* covers issues such as the power of words to influence our perceptions
* looks at the origins of words from English and other languages
* explores the relationships between the meanings and shapes of words
* examines the correlation of different kinds of words with different style levels
* uses striking and entertaining examples to make fundamental points about the words we use
* lays the groundwork for further study in morphology, lexical semantics, historical linguistics and lexicography.

eBook available with sample pages: 0203026055

Examines the ways language has changed in the twentieth century. It concentrates on standard English and takes a historical rather than sociolinguistic view of the changes which have occurred.

Questions About Language sets out to answer, in a readable yet insightful format, a series of vital questions about language, some of which language specialists are regularly asked, and some of which are so surprising that only the specialists think about them. In this handy guide, sixteen language experts answer challenging questions about language, from What makes a language a language? to Do people swear because they don't know enough words? Illustrating the complexity of human language, and the way in which we use it, the twelve chapters each end with a section on further reading for anyone interested in following up on the topic. Covering core questions about language, this is essential reading for both students new to language and linguistics and the interested general reader.

Are compounds words or phrases - or are they neither or both? How should we classify compounds? How can we deal with the fact that the relationship between the elements of sugar pill ('pill made of sugar') is different from that in sea-sickness pill ('pill to prevent sea-sickness')? Are compounds a linguistic universal? How much do languages vary in the way their compounds work? Why do we need compounds, when there are other ways of creating the same meanings? Are so-called neoclassical compounds like photograph really compounds? Based on more than forty years' research, this controversial new book sets out to answer these and many other questions.

This volume offers a valuable overview of recent research into the semantic aspects of complex words through different theoretical frameworks. Contributions by experts in the field, both morphologists and psycholinguists, identify crucial areas of research, present alternative and complementary approaches to their examination from the current level of knowledge, and indicate perspectives of research into the semantics of complex words by raising important questions that need to be investigated in order to get a more comprehensive picture of the field. Recent decades have seen both extensive and intensive development of various theories of word-formation, however, the semantic aspects of complex words have, with a few notable exceptions, been rather neglected. This volume fills that gap by offering articles written by leading experts in the field from various theoretical backgrounds.

This volume offers a valuable overview of recent research into the semantic aspects of complex words through different theoretical frameworks. Contributions by experts in the field, both morphologists and psycholinguists, identify crucial areas of research, present alternative and complementary approaches to their examination from the current level of knowledge, and indicate perspectives of research into the semantics of complex words by raising important questions that need to be investigated in order to get a more comprehensive picture of the field. Recent decades have seen both extensive and intensive development of various theories of word-formation, however, the semantic aspects of complex words have, with a few notable exceptions, been rather neglected. This volume fills that gap by offering articles written by leading experts in the field from various theoretical backgrounds.

Why are there more English words ending in -ness than ending in -ity? What is it about some endings that makes them more widely usable than others? Can we measure the differences in the facility with which the various affixes are used? Does the difference in facility reflect a difference in the way we treat words containing these affixes in the brain? These are the questions examined in this book. Morphological productivity has, over the centuries, been a major factor in providing the huge vocabulary of English and remains one of the most contested areas in the study of word-formation and structure. This book takes an eclectic approach to the topic, applying the findings for morphology to syntax and phonology. Bringing together the results of twenty years' work in the field, it provides new insights and considers a wide range of linguistic and psycholinguistic evidence.

This highly accessible book presents an overview of English morphology for all those involved in the English-language teaching industry. For non-native learners, the ability to recognize and produce new words in appropriate circumstances is a challenging task, and knowledge of the word-building system of English is essential to effective language learning. This book clearly explains the morphology of English from the point of view of the non-native learner and shows how teachers and professors can instruct EFL students successfully with effective materials. Covering the scope of the task of teaching English morphology specifically to non-native learners of English, bestselling authors Bauer and Nation provide a range of strategies and tactics for straightforward instruction, and demonstrate how teachers of English as a foreign language can easily integrate learning of the morphological system into their language courses. This book helps teachers and learners make sensible decisions about where to focus deliberate attention, what to be careful about, and what not to be concerned about. It offers a range of shortcuts, tips and tricks for teaching, and gives detailed practical information on topics including: Sound and spelling Possessives Comparative and superlative Past tense and past participle Making nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs and words with prefixes Learned word-formation. This book is essential and practical reading for graduate students on English-language teaching courses, preservice teachers, consultants, practitioners, researchers and scholars in ELT.

Questions About Language sets out to answer, in a readable yet insightful format, a series of vital questions about language, some of which language specialists are regularly asked, and some of which are so surprising that only the specialists think about them. In this handy guide, sixteen language experts answer challenging questions about language, from What makes a language a language? to Do people swear because they don't know enough words? Illustrating the complexity of human language, and the way in which we use it, the twelve chapters each end with a section on further reading for anyone interested in following up on the topic. Covering core questions about language, this is essential reading for both students new to language and linguistics and the interested general reader.

Are compounds words or phrases - or are they neither or both? How should we classify compounds? How can we deal with the fact that the relationship between the elements of sugar pill ('pill made of sugar') is different from that in sea-sickness pill ('pill to prevent sea-sickness')? Are compounds a linguistic universal? How much do languages vary in the way their compounds work? Why do we need compounds, when there are other ways of creating the same meanings? Are so-called neoclassical compounds like photograph really compounds? Based on more than forty years' research, this controversial new book sets out to answer these and many other questions.

The media are ruining English"; "Some languages are harder than others"; "Children can't speak or write properly anymore." Such pieces of "cultural wisdom" are often expressed in newspapers and on radio and television. Rarely is there a response from experts in the fields of language and language development. In this book Laurie Bauer and Peter Trudgill have invited nineteen respected linguists from all over the world to address these "language myths"--showing that they vary from the misconceived to the downright wrong. With essays ranging from "Women Talk Too Much" and "In the Appalachians They Speak Like Shakespeare" to "Italian Is Beautiful, German Is Ugly" and "They Speak Really Bad English Down South and in New York City," Language Myths is a collection that is wide-ranging, entertaining, and authoritative.

Lexicology is about words, their meanings and the relationships between them, their origins and their structure. It combines the study of derivational morphology with lexical semantics. This textbook explores the history, meanings and structure of words, the way they are collected in dictionaries and the way they are stored in our minds. It goes beyond examining the morphological structure of words to examine the way words are spelt and the way they sound. At every stage, the book focuses not only on description, but also on the puzzles that words present. Supported by numerous examples, exercises, discussion questions, suggestions for further reading and a glossary, this is an accessible and lively guide to the linguistic study of English through the consideration of words.

Laurie Bauer has expertly crafted a compendium of essential things for linguistics students to know - from the IPA chart to the Saussurean dichotomies, this book will be the constant companion of anyone undertaking studies of linguistics. Part reference work, part revision guide, and with tables providing summary information on some 300 languages, the book provides a new learning tool as a supplement to your usual textbooks.

Morphological productivity has, over the centuries, been a major factor in providing the huge vocabulary of English and remains one of the most contested areas in the study of word formation and structure. This book takes an eclectic approach to the topic, applying the findings for morphology to syntax and phonology. Bringing together the results of twenty years' work in the field, it provides new insights and considers a wide range of linguistic and psycholinguistic evidence.

This highly accessible book presents an overview of English morphology for all those involved in the English-language teaching industry. For non-native learners, the ability to recognize and produce new words in appropriate circumstances is a challenging task, and knowledge of the word-building system of English is essential to effective language learning. This book clearly explains the morphology of English from the point of view of the non-native learner and shows how teachers and professors can instruct EFL students successfully with effective materials. Covering the scope of the task of teaching English morphology specifically to non-native learners of English, bestselling authors Bauer and Nation provide a range of strategies and tactics for straightforward instruction, and demonstrate how teachers of English as a foreign language can easily integrate learning of the morphological system into their language courses. This book helps teachers and learners make sensible decisions about where to focus deliberate attention, what to be careful about, and what not to be concerned about. It offers a range of shortcuts, tips and tricks for teaching, and gives detailed practical information on topics including: Sound and spelling Possessives Comparative and superlative Past tense and past participle Making nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs and words with prefixes Learned word-formation. This book is essential and practical reading for graduate students on English-language teaching courses, preservice teachers, consultants, practitioners, researchers and scholars in ELT.

Although the illustrative material is drawn principally from English, general points are illustrated with a variety of languages to provide a new perspective on a confused and often controversial field of study.

An expanded and updated new edition of this best-selling introduction to linguistic morphology. The text guides the reader from the very first principles of the internal structure of words through to advanced issues of current controversy. The first part of the book introduces basic concepts, with the help of examples from a range of familiar and exotic languages. The second section highlights particularly important topics, and discusses them in more detail. These include the definition of the word-form, productivity, the vexed problems of inflection versus derivation and the nature of the morpheme, and the position of morphology in relation to phonology and syntax. The third section looks at the theory of morphology, considering fundamental problems such as the nature of morphological universals, how the brain deals with morphologically complex words and how morphology changes over time, but also with individual ways of looking at morphology, including natural morphology, word-and-paradigm and level-ordered models. Features: * New chapters on morphology and the brain and diachronic morphology * Exercises added at the end of each chapter * Includes a glossary of key terms

This book looks at native speaker varieties of English, considering how and why they differ in terms of their pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary and spelling. It shows how the major national varieties of English have developed, why similar causes have given rise to different effects in different parts of the world, and how the same problems of description arise in relation to all 'colonial' Englishes. It covers varieties of English spoken in Britain, the USA, Canada, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and the Falkland Islands. * Introductory text, presupposes a minimum of previous knowledge * Focuses on common traits rather than on individual varieties * Informed by latest research on dialect mixing * Exercises included with each chapter * References for further reading in each chapter

Different theoretical positions can lead to conflicting restrictions on our understanding of what morphology is about. In this textbook, Laurie Bauer presents a new way of thinking about morphological structure - one that will maximise our benefits from the existing disparate approaches available. Presenting a clear and critical overview, this book equips students with the tools to discuss morphological phenomena and to do so in relation to other linguistic contexts, including semantics, psycholinguistics and language change. Structured around the core areas of morphemic theory, word morphology, word syntax, the boundaries of morphology, and exemplars and resonances, each chapter discusses the limits, strengths and wider implications of existing theories and issues surrounding these facets of morphology.