Describes various facets of human language - its biological origin, its uniqueness to humanity, it acquisition by children, its grammatical structure, the production and perception of speech, the pathology of language disorders and the unstoppable evolution of languages and dialects.

Examining the mother tongue, this book explores the countless varieties of English and the perils of marketing brands with names like Pschitt and Super Piss. It also contains sections on the oddities of swearing and spelling, spoonerisms and Scrabble, and a consideration of what we mean by 'good English'.

One of the world's science superstars presents a brilliantly illuminating, entertaining and cutting-edge account of how language actually works

A complete revised update, in full colour, of the most successful general study of language ever published.

George Lakoff and Mark Johnson suggest that basic metaphors used in everyday speech not only affect the way we communicate ideas, but actually structure our perceptions and understandings from the beginning.

A text for the study of linquistics. It presents technical terms required for describing speech and transcription symbols and phonetics of English and other languages. It is accompanied by a CD-ROM that contains more than 4,000 audio files, including recordings of speech from southern and northern US cities, London, Dublin, and New Zealand.

Suitable for use at all levels and in many different areas of instruction, including education, languages, psychology, anthropology, teaching English as a Second Language (TESL), and linguistics.

Analyses what words actually mean and how we use them, and reveals what this can tell us about ourselves. This book shows how we use space and motion as metaphors for more abstract ideas, and uncovers the deeper structures of human thought that have been shaped by evolutionary history. It also explores the emotional impact of language.

This work charts the tale of a language that came from nowhere to conquer the world. It is an introduction for both student and general reader alike.

An entertaining, anecdotal look at the origins of language and ideas in the USA. Bryson explains why two bicycle repairmen from Ohio succeeded in mastering manned flight, why the assassination of President Garfield led to the invention of air conditioning, and many other improbable but true facts.

Second Edition presenting an overhaul of its subject for a new generation of language-lovers.

Her international bestseller, the book that shows us at last, why we find it so difficult to talk to the opposite sex. Reissued to coincide with her new book The Argument Culture.

A guide to perfect punctuation for those who care about precise writing.

A collection of original essays by 21 of the world's leading linguists. It discusses topics on some of the popular myths about language: the media are ruining English; children can't speak or write properly anymore; and, America is ruining the English language.

An unusual and authoritative 'natural history of languages' that narrates the ways in which one language has superseded or outlasted another at different times in history.

This superbly well-informed - and also wonderfully entertaining - history of the English language answers all these questions, showing how the many strands of English (Standard English, dialect and slang among them) developed to create the richly-varied language of today.

Half the world's languages are threatened with extinction. This work looks at questions such as: What ways of looking at the world will die along with them, what cultural riches, what experiences, histories and memories? And how does it feel to be one of the last remaining speakers of a languages that is on its way to extinction?