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Indo-European Language Culture: An Introduction (Blackwell Textbooks in Linguistics) [Paperback]

Benjamin W. Fortson IV
4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)

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Indo-European Language and Culture: An Introduction (Blackwell Textbooks in Linguistics) Indo-European Language and Culture: An Introduction (Blackwell Textbooks in Linguistics) 4.6 out of 5 stars (5)
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Book Description

15 Sep 2004 1405103167 978-1405103169
Indo–European Language and Culture: An Introduction provides a comprehensive overview of comparative Indo–European linguistics and the branches of the Indo–European language family, covering both linguistic and cultural material.

  • Fills a long–present gap in the literature of Indo–European studies.
  • Designed for use in courses, with exercises and suggestions for further reading included in each chapter.
  • Discusses linguistic and cultural developments for each branch of the Indo–European language family.
  • Provides an overview of Proto–Indo–European culture, society, and language.


Product details

  • Paperback: 488 pages
  • Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell (15 Sep 2004)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1405103167
  • ISBN-13: 978-1405103169
  • Product Dimensions: 17.2 x 2.6 x 24.6 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,271,922 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • See Complete Table of Contents

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Review

“If you ever thought about teaching an undergraduate introduction to Indo–European linguistics and had gotten so far in your planning as to examine the available course–books, you would have been in for a nasty surprise. Prior to 2004 there was no suitable book available … Finally, there is a reliable, engaging and accessible presentation of the communis opinio. And there are even exercises! … Fortson has produced an excellent book that fulfills its goals admirably. I hope it will inspire a renaissance of Indo–European linguistics in English speaking countries.” Journal of the American Oriental Society

“The perfect book for an introductory Indo–European course, lively and engaging throughout, yet detailed, accurate, and authoritative. The hands–on exercises at the end of each chapter are a unique and valuable feature.”
Jay Jasanoff, Harvard University


"This is an excellent introduction to Proto–Indo–European and its study. Both the chapters on various aspects of PIE grammar and those describing the various Indo–European branches are masterly précis of their subjects. As a Tocharianist I’m pleased to see that all branches of Indo–European are given the same thoughtful, substantial treatment. Both novices and the experienced Indo–Europeanists will read this book with profit; more than one of the latter group will wish he had written himself."
Douglas Q. Adams, University of Idaho

"I would like to conclude by stressing that this is an excellent textbook. I have taught from it, and the students in my class not only learned a great deal from it, they also seemed to enjoy the book almost as much as I did."
Bryn Mawr

Review

“The perfect book for an introductory Indo–European course, lively and engaging throughout, yet detailed, accurate, and authoritative. The hands–on exercises at the end of each chapter are a unique and valuable feature.”
–Jay Jasanoff, Harvard University

"This is an excellent introduction to Proto–Indo–European and its study. Both the chapters on various aspects of PIE grammar and those describing the various Indo–European branches are masterly précis of their subjects. As a Tocharianist I’m pleased to see that all branches of Indo–European are given the same thoughtful, substantial treatment. Both novices and the experienced Indo–Europeanists will read this book with profit; more than one of the latter group will wish he had written himself."
–Douglas Q. Adams, University of Idaho

"I would like to conclude by stressing that this is an excellent textbook. I have taught from it, and the students in my class not only learned a great deal from it, they also seemed to enjoy the book almost as much as I did."
–Bryn Mawr --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.


Inside This Book (Learn More)
First Sentence
1.1 All languages are similar in certain ways, but some similarities are more striking and interesting than others. Read the first page
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Concordance
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews

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4.6 out of 5 stars
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Simply The Best !!! 28 Sep 2010
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
"Ben Fortsons book is the best existing introduction to Indo-European linguistics: up-to-date and comprehensive, accessible without being oversimplified. Students and interested laypersons will find it indispensable."
Don Ringe, University of Pennsylvania

There's nothing else to say guys !!! 5 stars are not enough !!! I agree 100% with Don Ringe on this book. I will compare it with the other great book about IE linguistics: "The Oxford Introduction to PIE and the PIE world" by JP Mallory & DQ Adams. I bought this last one 2 years ago and have been using it ever since. Mallory & Adams provide much more PIE roots than Fortson, but they don't explain everything step by step. Fortson is doing just that. He takes you from ground zero and teaches you how to move at home within IE linguistics by yourself !!! It provides you with the necessary tools needed to move in IE linguistics, that is why I highly recommend it to anyone interested in this scientific field.

Before reading Fortson, I had a vague & empirical understanding of concepts like the root-ablaut and the laryngeals. After reading Fortson these concepts became simple, mechanical procedures composed by banal steps.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I got this book as a Christmas gift and was completely absorbed by it during Christmas. It is primarily an introduction to the linguistics of Indo-European (IE) languages. Proto-IE is most carefully described but also the daughter languages get much room, particularly English. Proto-IE culture and history is also related in some detail; the history of the daughter languages is treated more superficially, possibly due to lack of scientific results. The book is very well written in beautiful English with perfect understanding of its intended reader: the interested layman (with some general education in linguistics). The intention is to transmit knowledge that is uncontroversial among specialists, but a few deviating opinions are also mentioned. A most readable work - I only regret the sparse information on the history of many of the daughter languages. A useful complement for the very historically interested - although somewhat seasoned, I guess - may be In Search of the Indo-Europeans: Language, Archaeology and Myth.
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Easy as PIE 1 Dec 2009
By jdl
Format:Paperback
Mr. Fortson's book is the most readable and accessible account of this complex material that I have yet seen. I recommend it to anyone interested in language generally, and in the history of IE languages particularly.

H.D.Lepine
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