UID:
almahu_9948276313102882
Umfang:
1 online resource (xix, 359 pages)
ISBN:
9780824842581
,
0824842588
Inhalt:
Almost one-quarter of the world's languages are (or were) spoken in the Pacific, making it linguistically the most complex region in the world. Although numerous technical books on groups of Pacific or Australian languages have been published, and descriptions of individual languages are available, until now there has been no single book that attempts a wide regional coverage for a general audience. Pacific Languages introduces readers to the grammatical features of Oceanic, Papuan, and Australian languages as well as to the semantic structures of these languages. For readers without a formal linguistic background, a brief introduction to descriptive linguistics is provided. In addition to describing the structure of Pacific languages, this volume places them in their historical and geographical context, discusses the linguistic evidence for the settlement of the Pacific, and speculates on the reason for the region's many languages. It devotes considerable attention to the effects of contact between speakers of different languages and to the development of pidgin and creole languages in the Pacific. Throughout, technical language is kept to a minimum without oversimplifying the concepts or the issues involved. A glossary of technical terms, maps, and diagrams help identify a language geographically or genetically; reading lists and a language index guide the researcher interested in a particular language or group to other sources of information. Here at last is a clear and straightforward overview of Pacific languages for linguists and anyone interested in the history of sociology of the Pacific.
Anmerkung:
Frontmatter --
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Contents --
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Illustrations --
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Preface --
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Acknowledgments --
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Terms Used --
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Chapter 1. Linguistics: Some Basic Concepts --
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Chapter 2. The Languages of the Pacific --
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Chapter 3. The History of the Austronesian Languages --
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Chapter 4. The History of the Papuan and Australian Languages --
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Chapter 5. Sound Systems --
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Chapter 6. Oceanic Languages: Grammatical Overview --
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Chapter 7. Papuan Languages: Grammatical Overview --
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Chapter 8. Australian Languages: Grammatical Overview --
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Chapter 9. Languages in Contact --
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Chapter 10. Pidgins, Creoles, and Koines --
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Chapter 11. Language, Society, and Culture in the Pacific Context --
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Conclusion. Ideas about Pacific Languages --
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Suggestions for Further Reading --
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Appendices --
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Notes --
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References --
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Index
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In English.
Weitere Ausg.:
ISBN 9780824859183
Weitere Ausg.:
ISBN 0824859189
Sprache:
Englisch
DOI:
10.1515/9780824842581
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