Ethnologue: Languages of the World

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Book by. Seller Inventory # DADAX0883128152

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From Booklist: Since its first edition, in 1951, the editors of Ethnologue have been recording the existence, locales, users, growth, and demise of languages around the globe. The efforts of numerous researchers result in a large, densely packed work with concise facts and figures. The primary purpose of the work is to provide a list of living languages, where used and by whom, but there are also a number of value-added features.

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

Bibliographic Details

Title: Ethnologue: Languages of the World
Publisher: Brand: Sumner Institute of Linguistics, Inc.
Publication Date: 1992
Binding: Softcover
Condition: New
Edition: 12th.