Join Amazon Prime and get unlimited Free One-Day Delivery. Already a member? Sign in.

 

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
   
More Buying Choices
37 used & new from £2.52

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Linguistics: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)
 
 

Linguistics: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) (Paperback)

by P. H. Matthews (Author) "What is linguistics? ..." (more)
4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
RRP: £7.99
Price: £5.99 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
You Save: £2.00 (25%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In stock.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk. Gift-wrap available.

Only 2 left in stock--order soon (more on the way).

Want guaranteed delivery by Thursday, July 16? Choose Express delivery at checkout. See Details
26 new from £2.96 11 used from £2.52

Frequently Bought Together

Customers buy this book with Introducing Linguistics (Introducing...) by R.L. Trask

Linguistics: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) + Introducing Linguistics (Introducing...)
Price For Both: £12.48

Show availability and shipping details


Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Introducing Linguistics (Introducing...)

Introducing Linguistics (Introducing...)

by R.L. Trask
5.0 out of 5 stars (1)  £6.49
Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)

Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)

by Jonathan Culler
4.6 out of 5 stars (7)  £5.99
The Language Instinct: The New Science of Language and Mind (Penguin Science)

The Language Instinct: The New Science of Language and Mind (Penguin Science)

by Steven Pinker
3.7 out of 5 stars (22)  £6.49
Economics: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)

Economics: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)

by Partha Dasgupta
2.0 out of 5 stars (2)  £5.59
The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Linguistics (Oxford Paperback Reference)

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Linguistics (Oxford Paperback Reference)

by P.H. Matthews
3.0 out of 5 stars (2)  £7.14
Explore similar items

Product details


Product Description

Product Description
Linguistics falls in the gap between arts and science, on the edges of which the most fascinating discoveries and the most important problems are found. Rather than following the conventional organization of many contemporary introductions to the subject, the author of this stimulating guide begins his discussion with the oldest, 'arts' end of the subject and moves chronologically through to the newest research - the 'science' aspects. A series of short thematic chapters look in turn at such areas as the prehistory of languages and their common origins, language and evolution, language in time and space (the nature of change inherent in language), grammars and dictionaries (how systematic is language?), and phonetics. Explication of the newest discoveries pertaining to language in the brain completes the coverage of all major aspects of linguistics from a refreshing and insightful angle.

About the Author
Peter Matthews is Professor of Linguistics at Cambridge University and a Fellow of St John's College, Cambridge. His many publications in the field of Linguistics include several academic books, particularly in the area of morphology, and The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Linguistics (1997).

Inside This Book (Learn More)
First Sentence
What is linguistics? Read the first page
Explore More
Concordance
Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
Search inside this book:

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
Check the boxes next to the tags you consider relevant or enter your own tags in the field below

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Linguistics: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)
81% buy the item featured on this page:
Linguistics: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) 4.5 out of 5 stars (2)
£5.99
The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Linguistics (Oxford Paperback Reference)
5% buy
The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Linguistics (Oxford Paperback Reference) 3.0 out of 5 stars (2)
£7.14
Language: The Basics (Basics (Routledge Paperback))
5% buy
Language: The Basics (Basics (Routledge Paperback)) 5.0 out of 5 stars (4)
£11.39
Introducing Linguistics (Introducing...)
4% buy
Introducing Linguistics (Introducing...) 5.0 out of 5 stars (1)
£6.49

 

Customer Reviews

2 Reviews
5 star:
 (1)
4 star:
 (1)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.5 out of 5 stars (2 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars As the title says: A very short introduction, 15 Nov 2008
By Nadine Awde "nebreek" (Newcastle, England) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
As the title suggests, this is a very short introduction to Linguistics. What I particularly liked about this book is that it gives insight to what this study is in general about. It also makes the reader wonder about many aspects of one's language that may be taken for granted but in reality are very sophisticated. I recommend this book for absolute beginners in the field of linguistics. Otherwise, it may be wiser to invest in a book that covers the subject in more detail.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Linguistics - the science and the mystery, 3 Oct 2008
By Jon Chambers (Birmingham, England) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
Linguistics (lin'gwistiks). Hmmm... not always such exciting stuff, judging by one particularly dull book read in student days. But this one is told with zest. It manages to let the reader approach the subject in a personal and meaningful way, and is a bit like sharing the voyage of discovery made by Humbert Humbert on the opening page of Lolita, where the obsessing narrator contemplates the tongue's subtly-shifting journey when pronouncing the name of his teenaged femme fatale.

Two maybe rather trivial things occurred to me while reading. First, how inadequate western alphabets are as systems of representing the myriad sounds produced in human speech (hence all those arcane symbols linguists use, most of which this keyboard is incapable of replicating.). Secondly, a question. Would a linguist as expert as P.H.Matthews be able to understand meaningful speech simply by studying its spectrogram?

Matthews is particularly interesting when dealing with the relationship between cultures and their language, and on vowel shifts (especially on the results of Labov's studies in the department stores of New York). Such modern, observable phenomena shed much-needed light on more distant equivalents like the Great Vowel Shift of Middle English.

Linguistics has often been described as the science of language. This book deals with the physics, biology, psychology and anthropology of speech. That it also deals with the mystery of language as well as the science is one of its great strengths. Sections on the origins of language and on language and the brain are intriguing if, necessarily, speculative. As good a taster as you're likely to meet even in so excellent a series as this.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Only search this product's reviews



Customer Discussions

 Beta (What's this?)
This product's forum (0 discussions)
  Discussion Replies Latest Post
  No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
  [Cancel]


Active discussions in related forums
   
Related forums


Listmania!


Look for similar items by category


Feedback


Health & Beauty at Amazon.co.uk

Elemis Resurface and Renew Skin Care Gift Set of 4 Products
From soap to shavers, massagers to mascara, stock up on your daily essentials or truly pamper yourself.

Discover Health & Beauty

 

More From P. H. Matthews

The Concise Oxford...

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of...

Now in its second edition, this invaluable work is the most... Read more
£10.99 £7.14

 

Up to 50% off Dental Care

Braun Oral-B Professional Care 6000 Rechargeable Toothbrush - Pack of 2
Put a sparkle in your smile with up to 50% off selected Oral-B and Philips rechargeable toothbrushes.

Up to 50% off power toothbrushes

 

Treat Someone

Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificates--available in any amount from £5 to £500 With an Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificate, you can get them what they want (even if you don't know what that is).

Learn more about Gift Certificates

 
Ad

Where's My Stuff?

Delivery and Returns

Need Help?

Your Recent History

  (What's this?)
You have no recently viewed items or searches.

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.

Look to the right column to find helpful suggestions for your shopping session.

Continue Shopping: Top Sellers
The Girl Who Played with Fire
Breaking Dawn (Twilight Saga)
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Host
The Host by Stephenie Meyer

amazon.co.uk Amazon Home
International Sites:  United States  |  Germany  |  France  |  Japan  |  Canada  |  China
Business Programs: Sell on Amazon  |  Fulfilment by Amazon  |  Join Associates  |  Join Advantage
Customer Service  |  Help  |  View Basket  |  Your Account
About Amazon.co.uk  |  Careers at Amazon
Conditions of Use & Sale |  Privacy Notice  © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. and its affiliates