Linguistics falls in the gap between arts & science on the edges of which the most fascinating discoveries & the most important problems are found Rather than following the conventional organization of many contemporary introductions to the subject the author of this stimulating guide begins his discussion with the oldest 'arts' end of the subject & moves chronologically through to the newest research
- the 'science' aspects A series of short thematic chapters look in turn at such areas as the prehistory of languages & their common origins language & evolution language in time & space (the nature of change inherent in language) grammars & dictionaries (how systematic is language?) & phonetics Explication of the newest discoveries pertaining to language in the brain completes the coverage of all major aspects of linguistics from a refreshing & insightful angle ABOUT THE SERIES The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly Our expert authors combine facts analysis perspective new ideas & enthusiasm to make interesting & challenging topics highly readable