Relatively Speaking: Language, Thought, and Kinship among the Mopan Maya (Oxford Studies in Anthropological Linguistics) [Hardcover]

Eve Danziger (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0195099109 | ISBN-13: 978-0195099102 | Publication Date: April 12, 2001

Based upon 14 months of ethnographic fieldwork among the Mopan Maya in Belize, Eve Danziger examines the semantic complexity of particular kinship terms used among Mopan women and children and shows that a culture-specific analysis of their terms is superior to other non-ethnographically-based methods. In doing so she contributes not only to theoretical semantics and the ethnography of that area, but to the cross-cultural study of child development and language acquisition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...the greatest achievement of this work is its unique combination of ethnographic and quantitative methodologies. It is this combination that allows the study to rise above the many problems facing anyone who attempts to examine the relativity hypothesis.....The ethnographic research is itself a major contribution to Mayan ethnography. Danziger provides an excellent description of the Mopan system of kinship (and its role in establishing and maintaining social relationships) and her analysis of the importance of the 'tzik' concept of respect will be especially useful to anthropologists and Mayanists."--Linguist

About the Author

Eve Danziger is at University of Virginia.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (April 12, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195099109
• ISBN-13: 978-0195099102
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,445,942 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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