All About Language: A Guide

In clear, congenial style Barry Blake explains how language works. He describes the make-up of words and how they're built from sounds and signs and put together in phrases and sentences. He examines the dynamics of conversation and the relations between the sound and meaning. He shows how languages help their users connect to each other and to the world, how they vary around the world, why they never stop changing, and that no two people speak a language in the same way. He looks at how language is acquired by infant children, how it relates to thought, and its operations in the brain. He investigates current trends and issues such as the levelling of linguistic class differences and the rise of new secret or in-group languages such as argot and teenspeak. He describes the history of writing from its origins to digital diffusion, and ends by looking at how language might have originated and then evolved among our distant hominid and primate ancestors.  Language is crucial to every aspect of our lives whether we're thinking, talking, or dreaming. Barry Blake reveals the wonders that lie beneath the surface of everyday communication, enriching his exposition with a unique blend of anecdote and humour. His engaging guide is for everyone curious about language or who needs to know more about it.

Reference

Blake, Barry J.

Words, Language & Grammar

Oxford University Press

In clear, congenial style Barry Blake explains how language works. He describes the make-up of words and how they're built from sounds and signs and put together in phrases and sentences. He examines the dynamics of conversation and the relations between the sound and meaning. He shows how languages help their users connect to each other and to the world, how they vary around the world, why they never stop changing, and that no two people speak a language in the same way. He looks at how language is acquired by infant children, how it relates to thought, and its operations in the brain. He investigates current trends and issues such as the levelling of linguistic class differences and the rise of new secret or in-group languages such as argot and teenspeak. He describes the history of writing from its origins to digital diffusion, and ends by looking at how language might have originated and then evolved among our distant hominid and primate ancestors. Language is crucial to every aspect of our lives whether we're thinking, talking, or dreaming. Barry Blake reveals the wonders that lie beneath the surface of everyday communication, enriching his exposition with a unique blend of anecdote and humour. His engaging guide is for everyone curious about language or who needs to know more about it.

With revelations on every page, and sample codes and puzzles for the reader to crack, Secret Language will entertain everyone with an urge to know more about the most arcane and curious uses of language. From backmasking to the Enigma Machine, from magic words to literary symbols, here is a lively, engaging tour of languages that hide their meanings from all but a chosen few. Blake explains the difference between ciphers and codes and shows how secret messages have been written--and broken--for almost two thousand years. He explores the history and uses of the slang and argot of schools and trades, tracing the stories of centuries-old cants such as those used by sailors and criminals--among them polari, the mix of Italian, Yiddish, and slang once spoken among strolling players and circus folk and most recently adopted by the gay community. He examines the sacred languages of ancient cults and religions, uncovers the workings of onomancy, spells, and gematria, considers the obliqueness of allusion and parody, and celebrates the absurdities of euphemism and jargon.

Secret Language: Codes, Tricks, Spies, Thieves, and Symbols

History

Historical Study & Educational Resources

With revelations on every page, and sample codes and puzzles for the reader to crack, Secret Language will entertain everyone with an urge to know more about the most arcane and curious uses of language. From backmasking to the Enigma Machine, from magic words to literary symbols, here is a lively, engaging tour of languages that hide their meanings from all but a chosen few. Blake explains the difference between ciphers and codes and shows how secret messages have been written--and broken--for almost two thousand years. He explores the history and uses of the slang and argot of schools and trades, tracing the stories of centuries-old cants such as those used by sailors and criminals--among them polari, the mix of Italian, Yiddish, and slang once spoken among strolling players and circus folk and most recently adopted by the gay community. He examines the sacred languages of ancient cults and religions, uncovers the workings of onomancy, spells, and gematria, considers the obliqueness of allusion and parody, and celebrates the absurdities of euphemism and jargon.

Case marking in Australian languages (Linguistic series)

Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies

This book describes this theory's basic ideas, evaluates them and compares them with other approaches in other theories. This book should be of interest to advanced students and lecturers in linguistics.

Relational Grammar (Linguistic Theory Guides)

Foreign Language Study & Reference

Routledge

Case (Cambridge Textbooks in Linguistics)

This book is a concise and accessible introduction to the ways in which relations between words in sentences are marked in languages. The author describes the systems of suffixes familiar from languages like Latin and also the roles of prepositions, postpositions and the use of the pronominal elements on verbs. This new edition incorporates expanded discussions of the key concepts, taking into consideration current developments in the field, and includes an updated section on abstract case in the Chomskyian paradigm.

Cambridge University Press

Case is an introduction for students of linguistics to the ways relations between words in sentences are marked in languages. It describes the systems of suffixes familiar from languages like Latin and also the roles of prepositions, postpositions and the use of the pronominal elements on verbs. One of the most interesting features of case is the recurrence of apparently idiosyncratic patterns and devices in otherwise unrelated languages. This book picks out these recurring strategies and explores their significance. It provides the background against which the case marking of particular languages can be best understood. Case contains in addition a useful discussion of the theoretical problems in identifying cases and the basis for distinguishing case relations from cases. A final chapter looks at the origins and development of case marking devices.

Case is an introduction for students of linguistics to the ways relations between words in sentences are marked in languages. It describes the systems of suffixes familiar from languages like Latin and also the roles of prepositions, postpositions and the use of the pronominal elements on verbs. One of the most interesting features of case is the recurrence of apparently idiosyncratic patterns and devices in otherwise unrelated languages. This book picks out these recurring strategies and explores their significance. It provides the background against which the case marking of particular languages can be best understood. Case contains in addition a useful discussion of the theoretical problems in identifying cases and the basis for distinguishing case relations from cases. A final chapter looks at the origins and development of case marking devices.

This book is a concise and accessible introduction to the ways in which relations between words in sentences are marked in languages. The author describes the systems of suffixes familiar from languages like Latin and also the roles of prepositions, postpositions and the use of the pronominal elements on verbs. This new edition incorporates expanded discussions of the key concepts, taking into consideration current developments in the field, and includes an updated section on abstract case in the Chomskyian paradigm.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Blake, Barry J.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Blake, Barry J.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Blake, Barry J.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

All About Language: A Guide

All About Language: A Guide

Secret Language: Codes, Tricks, Spies, Thieves, and Symbols

Secret Language: Codes, Tricks, Spies, Thieves, and Symbols

Case marking in Australian languages (Linguistic series)

Relational Grammar (Linguistic Theory Guides)

Case (Cambridge Textbooks in Linguistics)

Case (Cambridge Textbooks in Linguistics)

Case (Cambridge Textbooks in Linguistics)

Case (Cambridge Textbooks in Linguistics)