Speak A Short History of Languages

by Janson, Tore

• ISBN13: 9780198299783
• ISBN10: 0198299788
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2002-04-25
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

How does a language come into being and when does it disappear? What actually happened to Latin? When was English created? Will all people on Earth speak English or Chinese in 200 years? These are a few of the fascinating questions discussed in A Short History of Languages . It is about how historical conditions shape languages and how languages influence the course of history. The book starts with a discussion of the period of hunters and gatherers, when there was a huge number of languages. It moves on to Greek and Latin, to French and Italian, and naturally a full discussion of English. Many other languages are treated, from Setswana in southern Africa to the Creole language of Nevis in the West Indies. Hanson presents languages and cultures in a lively way, with concrete examples and, often, small samples from literary works. Although no knowledge of foreign languages is required, the book provides astonishing insights into many cultures and their languages. At the same time, it identifies long terms trends in history that may allow us to make predictions about the future.

Author Biography

Tore Janson recently retired as Professor of African Languages at Goteberg University in Sweden. He has held various teaching posts and research posts around the work, including the University of California, Los Angeles, and has published numerous books and articles on topics in language and linguistics.

Table of Contents

List of Maps	p. vi
List of Tables	p. vi
Preface	p. vii
Languages Before History	p. 1
The Large Language Groups	p. 29
Writing and the Egyptians	p. 57
Greek and the Greeks	p. 69
Latin and the Romans	p. 89
Did Dante Write in Italian?	p. 108
From Germanic to Modern English	p. 129
The Era of National Languages	p. 165
Languages of Europe and of the World	p. 184
How Languages Are Born--or Made	p. 202
How Languages Disappear	p. 232
The Heyday of English	p. 251
And Then?	p. 267
Suggestions for Further Reading	p. 283
Index	p. 291
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