book notice: Dying Words: Evans: Endangered Languages and What They Have to Tell Us

[Harold Schiffman]

 Dying Words: Endangered Languages and What They Have to Tell Us

Series Title: The Language Library
Published: 2009
Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell
                www.wiley.com

Book URL: http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-0631233067.html

Author: Nicholas Evans
Abstract:

The next century will see more than half of the world's 6,000 languages
become extinct, and most of these will disappear without being adequately
recorded. Written by one of the leading figures in language documentation,
this fascinating book explores what humanity stands to lose as a result.

-Explores the unique philosophy, knowledge, and cultural assumptions of
languages, and their impact on our collective intellectual heritage

-Questions why such linguistic diversity exists in the first place, and how
can we can best respond to the challenge of recording and documenting these
fragile oral traditions while they are still with us

-Written by one of the leading figures in language documentation, and draws
on a wealth of vivid examples from his own field experience

-Brings conceptual issues vividly to life by weaving in portraits of
individual 'last speakers' and anecdotes about linguists and their discoveries

"Nick Evans' book is an elegant, eloquently rendered narrative of the human
story as revealed through our languages. With deep erudition in world
literatures both oral and written, he captures the interplay between
speaker and tradition, word and thought, language and land; and he shares
with his readers the intellectual life of speakers and humanist-scientists
seeking to preserve and document this heritage."
-Tony Woodbury, University of Texas at Austin

http://linguistlist.org/issues/20/20-1133.html


-- 
**************************************
N.b.: Listing on the lgpolicy-list is merely intended as a service to
its members
and implies neither approval, confirmation nor agreement by the owner
or sponsor of
the list as to the veracity of a message's contents. Members who
disagree with a
message are encouraged to post a rebuttal. (H. Schiffman, Moderator)
*******************************************