Historical & Comparative Linguistics

Origins of Language: A Slim Guide

James R. Hurford

9780198701880
Paperback
06 March 2014

This book offers an accessible overview of what is known about the evolution of the human capacity for language and what sets human language apart from the simple communication systems used by non-human animals. It draws on a wide range of disciplines, including philosophy, neuroscience, genetics, and animal behaviour.

The Oxford History of English

Revised Edition

Lynda Mugglestone

9780199660162
Paperback
29 November 2012

Lynda Mugglestone's hugely popular The Oxford History of English is republished in a reset and revised edition featuring David Crystal's new take on the future of English. With impeccable and approachable scholarship, it describes the changing sounds, words, and meanings of English. A book for everyone interested in the language.

A Natural History of Latin

Tore Janson

9780199214051
Paperback
25 January 2007

Tore Janson tells the history of Latin from origins to present. He offers persuasive arguments for its value and gives direct access to its fascinating worlds, past and present. He describes how Latin spread through the classical world, its renewed importance in the Middle Ages, and its survival into modern times. He shows how spoken and written Latin evolved in different places and its central role in European history and culture. Brilliantly conceived and written with the same light touch as the author's bestselling history of languages, this book is a masterpiece of adroit synthesis.

Linguistics: A Very Short Introduction

P. H. Matthews

9780192801487
Paperback
24 April 2003

Very Short Introductions