Language, Frogs and Savants: More Linguistic Problems, Puzzles and Polemics - Paperback

by Neil Smith (Author)

With topics ranging from language death to sign language, Language, Frogs and Savants offers a glimpse into the fascinating world of linguistics.

• Written by one of the most senior figures in linguistics.
  
• Features fascinating topics ranging from language death to sign language.
  
• Includes an introduction to the current vision of linguistics most closely associated with Noam Chomsky.
  
• Contains a glossary of all technical terms and interpretations.

Back Jacket

What does it mean to know a language? Is there a language gene? What do we lose when a language dies? Picking up where his previous book Language, Bananas and Bonobos left off, Neil Smith explores these questions and more in a collection of essays that will intrigue the linguist on holiday or the language lover in all of us. With topics ranging from sign language to the mispronunciations of two-year-olds, Language, Frogs and Savants offers a further glimpse into the fascinating world of linguistics.

Author Biography

Neil Smith is one of the most senior figures in British linguistics. He is Professor of Linguistics in the Department of Phonetics and Linguistics at University College London, and has been Head of the Linguistics Section of the Department since 1972. He is the author of numerous books and articles, including The Twitter Machine (Blackwell, 1989), The Mind of a Savant (with Ianthi Tsimpli, Blackwell, 1995), Chomsky: Ideas and Ideals (1999, 2004) and Language, Bananas and Bonobos (Blackwell, 2002). He was elected Fellow of the British Academy in 1999 and an Honorary Member of the LSA in 2000.