The World Atlas of Language Structures (2005) [PDF] [-PUNISHER-]

Title: The World Atlas of Language Structures
Author(s): Martin Haspelmath, Matthew S. Dryer, David Gil, Bernard Comrie (editors), Hans-Jörg Bibiko, Hagen Jung, Claudia Schmidt (contributors)
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Year: 2005
Language: English
Pages: 712
ISBN: 0199255911, 9780199255917

The World Atlas of Language Structures is a book and CD combination displaying the structural properties of the world's languages. 142 world maps and numerous regional maps - all in colour - display the geographical distribution of features of pronunciation and grammar, such as number of vowels, tone systems, gender, plurals, tense, word order, and body part terminology. Each world map shows an average of 400 languages and is accompanied by a fully referenced description of the structural feature in question. The CD provides an interactive electronic version of the database which allows the reader to zoom in on or customize the maps, to display bibliographical sources, and to establish correlations between features. The book and the CD together provide an indispensable source of information for linguists and others seeking to understand human languages. The Atlas will be especially valuable for linguistic typologists, grammatical theorists, historical and comparative linguists, and for those studying a region such as Africa, Southeast Asia, North America, Australia, and Europe. It will also interest anthropologists and geographers. More than fifty authors from many different countries have collaborated to produce a work that sets new standards in comparative linguistics. No institution involved in language research can afford to be without it.