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Bezig met laden... What Language Is (And What It Isn't and What It Could Be) (editie 2011)door John McWhorter (Auteur)
Informatie over het werkWhat Language Is: And What It Isn't and What It Could Be! door John McWhorter
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Meld je aan bij LibraryThing om erachter te komen of je dit boek goed zult vinden. Op dit moment geen Discussie gesprekken over dit boek. John Mcwhorter talking about language is interesting and melodious but becomes overwhelming after a while. John McWhorter writing about language is also interesting, but I don't have any idea of how the words sound. There should be print books that say the words; that would be ideal. John McWhorter offers us a linguists'-eye view of language, considering questions like: what does it mean for a language to have a simple grammar vs a complex one, and what is it that causes the difference? He also explores a lot of ways in which the understanding and perspective of people who study language for a living can be very, very different from the intuitive assumptions of those of us who merely speak it, including questions of what's a "real" language (as opposed to sloppy, mistaken, or wrong language, or "primitive" or "impure" language), and what kinds of characteristics are "normal" in a language. (English, it turns out, is a little strange in some ways -- albeit ones that make perfect sense given its history -- and isn't the greatest standard by which to judge normality.) McWhorter does go into a lot more depth than I was expecting, or, honestly, than I thought I was quite in the mood for, including lots and lots of (sometimes slightly technical) examples from languages both familiar and obscure. But I quickly became utterly fascinated by it all. It helps that he writes in a very accessible style, sprinkling the text with occasional dorky jokes, dorky references, or odd little personal asides. If you're familiar with his Lexicon Valley podcast -- and if you have an interest in language, it's worth a listen -- the book feels much the same in tone, it's just that he gets to take a much deeper dive into things than a half-hour podcast would ever allow. I found it meaty, insightful, informative, and well worthwhile. Despite having already read a few other books on more or less the same subject, I feel like I've come out of it more enlightened than I went in. geen besprekingen | voeg een bespreking toe
"A provocative look at how languages originate, divide, multiply, and work"--P. [2] of jacket. Geen bibliotheekbeschrijvingen gevonden. |
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