Key Concepts in Language and Linguistics

Key Concepts in Language and Linguistics is an A-Z guide to the main terms and concepts used in the study of language and linguistics. The book includes definitions of:

• terms used in grammatical analysis from phoneme to componential analysis;

• branches of linguistics from semantics to neurolinguistics;

• approaches used in studying language from critical discourse analysis to Systemic Linguistics;

• linguistic phenomena from code-switching to conversational implicature;

• language varieties from pidgin to standard language.

Each entry begins with a brief definition of the term followed by a more detailed description. Entries trace the origin of the concept, mention the key associated individuals, provide a guide to further reading and are extensively cross-referenced.

R. L. Trask is Professor of Linguistics at the University of Sussex. His numerous publications include The History of Basque (1996), Language: The Basics (1995), A Dictionary of Phonetics and Phonology (1995) and A Dictionary of Grammatical Terms (1993).