Pereltsvaig Asya. Languages of the World. An Introduction

Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2012. — xviii + 278 p. — ISBN: 978-1-107-00278-4; ISBN: 978-0-521-17577-7.This very readable book about the languages of the world written by Asya Pereltsvaig (Stanford University, California) is presented with a list of questions: What do all human languages have in common and in what ways are they different? How can language be used to trace different peoples and their past? Are certain languages similar because of common descent or language contact? Assuming no prior knowledge of linguistics, this textbook introduces readers to the rich diversity of human languages, familiarizing students with the variety and typology of languages around the world. Linguistic terms and concepts are explained, in the text and in the glossary, and illustrated with simple, accessible examples. Eighteen language maps and numerous language family charts enable students to place a language geographically. or genealogically. A supporting website includes additional language maps and sound recordings that can be used to illustrate the peculiarities of the sound systems of various languages.
After an Introduction (Languages, dialects and accents; Language families; Linguistic diversity) the following chapters are devoted to Indo-European; Non-Indo-European languages of Europe and India (Finno-Ugric languages; Basque; Dravidian languages); Languages of the Caucasus; Languages of Northern Africa, Middle East and Central Asia (Turkic languages, Semitic languages); Languages of sub-Saharan Africa (Nilo-Saharan languages; Niger-Congo languages; Khoisan languages); Languages of eastern Asia (Sino-Tibetan languages; Austro-Asiatic languages; Tai-Kadai languages); Languages of the South Sea Islands (The Austronesian realm); Aboriginal languages of Australia and Papua New Guinea; Native languages of the Americas; Macro families (Afroasiatic languages; Uralic languages; Altaic languages; The Nostratic and Eurasiatic hypotheses; Other hypothesized macro language families); Pidgins, creoles and other mixed languages.