Empires of the Word
A Language History of the World
$49.94
- Paperback
688 pages
- Release Date
2 January 2007
Summary
An unusual and authoritative ‘natural history of languages’ that narrates the ways in which one language has superseded or outlasted another at different times in history.
The story of the world in the last five thousand years is above all the story of its languages. Some shared language is what binds any community together, and makes possible both the living of a common history and the telling of it.
Yet the history of the world’s great languages has rarely been examined. ‘Em…
Book Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780007118717 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10: | 0007118716 |
| Author: | Nicholas Ostler |
| Publisher: | HarperCollins Publishers |
| Imprint: | HarperPerennial |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Number of Pages: | 688 |
| Release Date: | 2 January 2007 |
| Weight: | 740g |
| Dimensions: | 45mm x 153mm x 234mm |
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Critics Review
‘It is a compelling read, one of the most interesting books I have read in a long while ! a great book. After reading it you will never think of language in the same way again.’ Guardian ‘Learned and entertaining ! remarkably comprehensive as well as thought-provoking.’ Observer ‘Ostler is particularly good on this linguistic fragility ! This richly various book offers new insights and information for almost everyone interested in the past.’ Sunday Telegraph ‘A serious work of scholarship, but one that can be read from cover to cover by the amateur enthusiast!the breadth of this analysis is breathtaking ! it does its job admirably.’ Spectator ‘Ambitious and well-researched.’ New Statesman
Nicholas Ostler
Nicholas Ostler is a scholar and scientist of languages, who has a working knowledge of twenty-six languages. He established the Foundation for Endangered Languages, an international organisation to provide funding and support to document and revitalise languages in peril. Through his company Linguacubun Ltd., he advises governments and corporations on policy in the field of computers and natural language processing. He is the author of Empires of the Word: A Language History of the World and Ad Infinitum: A Biography of Latin.
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