Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 15th Edition Fifteenth Edition

The introductory material explains the layout and the types of information available in each record. Next follows a set of statistical tables summarizing distributions, language families, and linguistic diversity. Part 1, "Languages of the World," provides country information, arranged by region. Each country entry is introduced by a paragraph noting basic general demographic information, the main languages, and the sources consulted. This is followed by a list of languages and their particular demographics. Dialects are noted along with estimated numbers of speakers, and in some cases, comments on the viability of a language are provided. It is sad to see the small numbers of documented speakers for some languages, but this is important to know in an ever-flattening and connected world.

Part 2 consists of more than 200 pages of subtly colored maps showing language distribution and locations within countries. The "Language Name Index" includes alternate names and is more than 300 pages in length. The final section of the book is a "Language Code Index" with standard three-letter -language-identifier codes. What is missing is a bibliography to go with the source citations found in the country entries.

Libraries that serve linguists, aid agencies, anthropologists, biological scientists, and researchers in other special fields will find this updated work a useful addition. It is very reasonably priced for the amount of information provided. Linda Loos Scarth
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

"Ethnologue remains one of the most useful scholarly reference sources on languages of the world. Summing Up: Essential. All collections; all levels."
--J. M. Alexander, Carnegie Mellon University, 2005sup CHOICE web review

"a veritable guide to the world's...languages and cultures, providing a bounty of sociolinguistic and demographic data in addition to linguistic information"
--ACRL, C&RL News, March 05

The 16th edition is now available, ISBN 9781556712166

"...the Ethnologue has grown into one of the most comprehensive catalogs of languages...a source for academics and governments..."
--Michael Erard, New York Times, July 19, 2005

"Ethnologue remains one of the most useful scholarly reference sources on languages of the world. Summing Up: Essential. All collections; all levels."
--J. M. Alexander, Carnegie Mellon University, 2005sup CHOICE web review

"a veritable guide to the world's...languages and cultures, providing a bounty of sociolinguistic and demographic data in addition to linguistic information"

"Ethnologue remains one of the most useful scholarly reference sources on languages of the world. Summing Up: Essential. All collections; all levels."

"a veritable guide to the world's...languages and cultures, providing a bounty of sociolinguistic and demographic data in addition to linguistic information"