From the co-director of the Endangered Language Alliance, a captivating portrait of contemporary New York City through six speakers of little-known and overlooked languages, diving into the incredible history of the most linguistically diverse place ever to have existed on the planet Half of all 7,000-plus human languages may disappear over the next century and--because many have never been recorded--when they're gone, it will be forever. Ross Perlin, a linguist and co-director of the Manhattan-based non-profit Endangered Language Alliance, is racing against time to map little-known languages across the most linguistically diverse city in history: contemporary New York. In Language City , Perlin recounts the unique history of immigration that shaped the city, and follows six remarkable yet ordinary speakers of endangered languages deep into their communities to learn how they are maintaining and reviving their languages against overwhelming odds. Perlin also dives deep into their languages, taking us on a fascinating tour of unusual grammars, rare sounds, and powerful cultural histories from all around the world. Seke is spoken by 700 people from five ancestral villages in Nepal, a hundred of whom have lived in a single Brooklyn apartment building. N'ko is a radical new West African writing system now going global in Harlem and the Bronx. After centuries of colonization and displacement, Lenape, the city's original Indigenous language and the source of the name Manhattan ("the place where we get bows"), has just one fluent native speaker, bolstered by a small band of revivalists. Also profiled in the book are speakers of the Indigenous Mexican language Nahuatl, the Central Asian minority language Wakhi, and the former lingua franca of the Lower East Side, Yiddish. A century after the anti-immigration Johnson-Reed Act closed America's doors for decades and on the 400th anniversary of New York's colonial founding, Perlin raises the alarm about growing political threats and the onslaught of "killer languages" like English and Spanish. Both remarkable social history and testament to the importance of linguistic diversity, Language City is a joyful and illuminating exploration of a city and the world that made it.

The aim of this book is to provide a succinct, accessible and comprehensive guide to linguistic concepts and names. 'Linguistic' here does not mean the technical terminology of linguistic sciences, but language in a more everyday sense. Terms are drawn from the various applied areas of language study, such as language teaching, speech pathology, stylistics, typography, and lexicography, as well as from core topics such as grammar, figures of speech, and basic phonetics. The dictionary sets out to answer questions people are likely to ask about language, such as 'Which language(s) do they speak in such-a-country' (all the countries of the world are included), and 'How many people speak X?' (several hundred languages are included). There are entries on 'knowledge about language', and 'LINC', and the ongoing developments in corpus compilation (COBUILD, British National Corpus). A great deal of background is given to the language profiles (e.g. early literary history). Pronunciations of language names (and of several other terms) are given. A small number of entries deal with linguistics, in particular the main schools of thought and basic concepts (e. g. competence, morphology). Abbreviations are included. In all, there are almost 2750 entries and there are c. 5000 cross-references, to give readers a wide range of access points to the information. Carefully chosen illustrations show things that cannot easily be expressed in text, such as alphabets. A selection of cartoons reinforces the author's conviction that language study can be fun.

This edited collection examines the role that language has played in forming modern European nations. With language an omnipresent issue within the European Union, the importance languages have played within the histories and present situations of member nations is a crucial topic. Drawing on an international cast of contributors, the book explores the issues of monolingualism vs. plurilingualism within individual nations, the revival of languages in nations such as former soviet republics, and concludes with a look at language in the electronic age.

First published originally in German in 1921, "Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus" is the only book-length philosophical work by Austrian philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein published during his lifetime. Based upon notes made during his time serving in World War I, the treatise is composed of 526 numbered declarative statements that are presented without argument and were seen by Wittgenstein as being self-evident. Wittgenstein's style is succinct and sparse and his ideas are presented in a highly logical, organized, and scientific manner. Wittgenstein proposes that the solution to all major philosophical problems can be solved only with logic and a scientific analysis of language and its meaning. His idea that philosophy is not about metaphysics and mysticism, but about critical and rational thought led to a massive shift in philosophical theories after its publication. The treatise was influential with many of the "logical positivists" of the Vienna Circle, such as Rudolf Carnap and Friedrich Waismann, and to philosophers such as Bertrand Russell. Considered one of the most significant and influential philosophical works of the twentieth century, this treatise is an important read for any student of the history of language and ideas. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper.

This interpretive study aruges that a trialogue between the three forms of monotheism must be something deeper than merely a meeting of Jewish, Christian and Muslim intellectuals, and that cooperation among them is essential to defend the West against Asian religious nihilism.

"Slavic and Latin: Ilchester Lectures on Comparative Lexicography" by Carl Abel explores the intricate relationships between Slavic and Latin languages. Delivered at the Taylor Institution, these lectures delve into comparative linguistics, examining shared roots, divergent paths, and the evolution of vocables. Abel references a wide range of scholars and linguistic concepts, including Sanskrit influences, Finnic connections, and the contributions of figures like F. W. Newman, W. R. Greg, and J. G. Fichte. The work touches upon various Slavic dialects, from Little Russian to Muscovite, offering insights into the historical development of these languages. This volume is a valuable resource for students and researchers interested in philology, historical linguistics, and the broader study of language families. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Altaramäische Urkunden aus Assur presents a collection of Aramaic documents discovered in the ancient city of Assur. Compiled by Mark Lidzbarski, a renowned scholar of Semitic languages, this volume offers invaluable insights into the linguistic and historical context of the Aramaic language during the period. These documents provide a glimpse into the daily life, administrative practices, and cultural interactions of the time. Lidzbarski's meticulous transcription and analysis make this work an essential resource for scholars and students interested in ancient Near Eastern studies, Aramaic linguistics, and biblical history. The book preserves these significant historical texts, ensuring their accessibility for future generations of researchers and enthusiasts. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.