Dictionary of Languages: The Definitive Reference to More than 400 Languages [Paperback]

Andrew Dalby (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0231115695 | ISBN-13: 978-0231115698 | Publication Date: March 3, 2004 | Edition: Revised

Approximately how many languages compose the Bantu language group of central and southern Africa? What is the name of the language spoken in Hawaii by an estimated two thousand people? What Western European language is not known to be related to any other language family in the world -- and is considered by linguists to be one of the most difficult to learn?

These are only a few of the questions language lovers, linguists, and lay readers will be able to answer with the Dictionary of Languages -- an easy-to-navigate, authoritative guide to the world's languages and language groups at the end of the twentieth century. Andrew Dalby had the needs and interests of general readers in mind when he compiled this comprehensive reference work -- most other language guides are written for scholars, and many include little or none of the absorbing social, cultural, geographic, and historical details that are brought together here.

In the Dictionary of Languages, readers will find:

•a selection of four hundred languages and language groups, arranged alphabetically, with rich, detailed descriptions of the genesis, development, and current status of each;

•more than two hundred maps displaying where the languages are spoken today;

•sidebars showing alphabets, numerals, and other enriching facts

•a comprehensive index listing additional languages, guiding readers to the nearest language groups with full writeups and maps;

•charts breaking down large language groups -- such as Bantu or Austroasiatic languages -- by geographic region and approximate number of speakers.

In a world where geopolitical boundaries often explain little about the people that live within them, where we may read about Kurd and Khmer in the same newspaper and be expected to be conversant about each -- if not conversant in each -- Dalby's single, information-packed volume helps us make sense of the rich mosaic of world languages.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

This new tome of tongues is one of the most remarkable general reference works of the century. From Abkhaz and Abaza (300,000 speakers in Georgia, Turkey, and Russia) to Zulu (8,800,000 speakers in South Africa and Lesotho), Dalby comprehensively details more than 400 languages (living and dead), arranged A-to-Z for easy access, and delving into the political, social, and historical background of each. In addition, more than 200 maps indicate where the languages are spoken today, while sidebars show alphabets, numerals, and anecdotes.

If you've got even a passing interest in linguistics, this work of erudition is addictively browsable. In the entry on Greek is an insert on the dialect of Tsakonian. Spoken only in an inaccessible mountain district in the Peloponnese, it's a direct descendant of the ancient Greek Doric dialect. And Fulani is spoken by some 15,000,000 individuals in West Africa, thanks to the migrant, pastoral lifestyle of the Fulani people, which spread the language across the Western Sudan such that it is now a national language in Guinea, Niger, and Mali. The section on Australian languages notes that when Europeans first began to explore the continent, there were about 300 languages spoken by the people who lived there, with up to 12 existing on the island of Tasmania alone. In addition, Dalby explains "mother-in-law languages," separate speech registers that most Australian tongues have, with different vocabulary and sometimes even different sound patterns, for use in the presence of a taboo relative, such as a man's mother-in-law.

Honorary Librarian at the Institute of Linguists and a regular contributor to their journal The Linguist, Andrew Dalby makes it both easy and inviting to learn about the languages of the world. --Stephanie Gold --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Library Journal

This encyclopedic dictionary offers an overview of over 400 alphabetically arranged living and extinct languages and language families. Introductory material provides background information on why languages grow apart and converge, some basic methodologies of historical linguistics, views on learning other languages, and frequently asked questions/answers about language. As in his Guide to World Language Dictionaries (LJ 3/15/99), Darby clearly describes and explains the book's many reference features, which include a glossary of 100 linguistic terms. He also explains positions taken on linguistic disagreements and considers each language's history, relationships to other languages, and estimated current speakers. To illustrate where a language is presently spoken and its proximity to related languages, 200 maps are included, along with examples of script, numerals, and alphabets. Cross references point to additional coverage, e.g., from "Latvian" and "Lithuanian" to "Baltic Languages." An extensive index gives access by languages and dialects referred to in the text or by major languages spoken within a country. Less technical than the International Encyclopedia of Linguistics (LJ 4/1/92), this highly practical work intended for the nonspecialist is an excellent source for browsing or reference.AStanley P. Hodge, Ball State Univ. Lib., Muncie, IN
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 800 pages
• Publisher: Columbia University Press; Revised edition (March 3, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0231115695
• ISBN-13: 978-0231115698
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,068,584 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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29 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Dalby's Dictionary of Languages- Is It Definitive or Not?, May 17, 2000

By 

Rebecca Maddox (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dictionary of Languages: The Definitive Reference to More Than 400 Languages (Paperback)

Definitive indeed, Andrew Dalby's "Dictionary of Languages: the Definitive Reference to More Than 400 Languages" is an exhaustive reference source that examines the major languages of the 20th century. It is a source that can be used to answer everything from general reference questions to meeting the specific research needs of linguistic scholars. This dictionary thoroughly describes the history, geography, and interactions of exactly 400 languages that are currently spoken and have over a million speakers, thus for the reader that wants to learn more about extinct languages a linguistic encyclopedia would be the better option.

Referring to the boldness of this title, can Dalby really make the claim that this is the definitive dictionary of languages? Although there are several sources that examine world language, none have the format of brief encapsulations of linguistic information written in a style that suits both the non-specialist and the specialist in linguistics. The learning curve between linguistics scholars and other academics is lessened by the author's inclusion of easily understandable maps, statistics, and interesting fact boxes. Unfamiliar pronunciations, methods of gaining statistics, and instructions on how to use the maps are detailed in the preface and introductory chapter of this book.

The layout of this book is rather straightforward. There is an index of languages and language groups listed in the back of the book but the curious reader can easily browse the alphabetically organized entries. Thus, a reader interested in Germanic languages could look both in the index under Germanic or skip directly to the language entry entitled German. The back of the book also includes a glossary that focuses on explaining terms that may be slightly problematic for the non-specialist. Academic libraries would find this reference source a valuable addition to their collections.

32 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Only book of its kind I know, June 25, 2001

By 

Robert E. Harris "bobeverynicknameistaken" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dictionary of Languages: The Definitive Reference to More than 400 Languages (Hardcover)

This is such a cool book!

I've always been fascinated by languages and how their unique structures and sounds and vocabularies reflect whole histories of interactions with each other, and how each one still uniquely reflects the situations and traditions of a specific culture. And I've long hoped to find a reference listing every the languages of the world along with articles and maps and sidebars delving into who speaks what where when and for how long with whom.

And then I stumbled across Mr. Dalby's work here, and I cannot express how impressed I am. The thing followed me around from room to room for a solid month, eating up my free time. The thing even includes minor and disappearing languages. I had no idea Irish Gaelic (my forefathers' tongue) was spoken by so few, or that literally dozens of third-world languages I had never heard of were spoken by so many.

I could not have enjoyed it more.

21 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars really sort of lower level, June 1, 2007

By 

Kyle E. Kneisl (East Coast, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Dictionary of Languages: The Definitive Reference to More than 400 Languages (Paperback)

This is really not a very academic reference. I am by no means a linguist, but I must say, there was very little of use in this book that I did not already know. With all due respect to the author, most people are really going to get less out of the articles in this book than out of wikipedia articles for the same languages. This is the unfortunate reality of the new information universe---information like this is really inferior when presented within the confines of book form, nowadays.

For what it is, though, it is fine. But if you are interested in more than how many people speak a language and where it is spoken, you'll really want to choose a different book. And if you ARE interested in how many people speak a language and where it is spoken, then you know where to find such information---there is no need to buy this book.

With all due respect to the author(s) of this book (which I am sure was a terrific effort to compile)---this book would have been great and relevant ten years ago. But with the other options nowadays available for anyone looking for "encyclopedic" knowledge of a subejct, it just falls flat.