Linguistics Stack Exchange
Linguistics Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [reference-request]

Questions seeking books, websites, articles, papers, research, or downloadable content on any linguistic topic.

335 questions
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Books on relationship between language and society / environment

Can you recommend some books on the connection between language features and (historical) features of the society or circumstances? Obvious examples: A homogeneous language without dialects would go with a centralized state and open geography. A…
Phira
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Is there a document to summarize characteristics of various languages?

I have a question on languages and their respective characteristics. Different languages are good at expressing certain things. For example, Japanese is good for expressing sublime images very concisely because of its abundance in nuanced words.…
user676464327
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Textbook suggestion for undergrad intro to (phonetics/phonology,) morphology and syntax course

I'll be teaching an introductory course on the morphology and syntax (and perhaps phonetics/phonology, though perhaps not) of English to undergrads in a large public, urban college in the US. I could use some suggestions for a good textbook. I am…
fjack
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Language where baby's first word is a swear word

I remember coming across an interesting language where the first sounds out of a baby's mouth were not considered to be "mother" and "father," but were instead considered to be a curse word. I want to say it was "ke," but I'm not certain. That…
Cort Ammon
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Thaqovelith: Is this language extinct?

Original post on Language Learning SE I'm trying to figure out if a language called Thaqovelith still exists or not. It is referenced in a book called "A descriptive phonology of Thaqovelith" published in 1980, so I believe it was not extinct then.…
Qiangong2
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Where can I find a book that enlists, categorize and discuss the importance of parts of speech?

I've been reading my Portuguese high-school book searching for some classification and hierarchization of parts of speech. My book brings me such features in a chapter dedicated to morphology, first I thought I needed to find about morphology, but…
Red Banana
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Book suggestions for a compelling introduction to linguistics for younger readers?

In particular, I'm looking for English texts which try to give some sense of the vast diversity of human languages through examples of unusual linguistic features exhibited in only one or in a small number of languages. A kind of compendium of…
pseudosudo
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Literature on linguistics education

I am looking for recently published journals or books dealing with Linguistics education, or the training of professional linguists. I have found one journal, "Innovations in Linguistics Education," which doesn't appear to be regularly published…
user483
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List of grammaticalization pathways?

In On the Evolution of Grammatical Forms, Heine and Kuteva show this page, without citing any sources that I could find: They give a small sample of examples of how this might work, such as the verb "say" going to become a subordinating conjunction…
Lance
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Try to recall a book that describes the connection between languages, logic and mathematical foundation

I remember there is a book published a few decades ago, which is probably hundreds of pages thick and describes the connection between languages (nor sure formal or natural languages, probably latter), syntax, semantics, logic, and mathematical…
Tim
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request: linguistics self-study exercises (worksheets or exercises)

I am looking for linguistics exercises to do over the summer. These can be from websites providing worksheets, or recommendations of textbooks which contain such exercises or worksheets, or recommendations of self-study tips and…
Officer Nordberg
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Translation into English of first Mel'cuk publications

Does anyone have copies of these papers English translations ? Mel'cuk, LA. (1958). “O maSinnom perevode s vengerskogo na russkij”, Problemy Kibernitiki 1, 222-264 [English translation : “Translation from Hungarian into Russian”, JPRS/646, archives…
Starckman
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What is a reputable introductory text for the study of linguistics?

I'm looking to study linguistics. Could someone recommend a reputable introductory text for the study of linguistics?
Der Übermensch
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What book introduces sound for laypeople trying to learn phonetics, but who loathe physics?

I'm reading about sound only because I like linguistics. I loathe, and have never taken any, physics. But I can do high school math, as I like statistics (not mathematical physics). I'm too dumb to understand even the explanations of…
user5306
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Any solid textbook recommendations to begin studying linguistics?

I need an introductory book that covers the cutting-edge research of the linguistics and most of its big branches. It must be written in a textbook format. The answerer must be well-versed in linguistics (well-versed = engages with the contemporary…
duskn
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