Language and Linguistics

by John Lyons

This 1981 book is a general introduction to linguistics and the study of language, intended particularly for beginning students and readers with no previous knowledge or training in the subject. There is first a general account of the nature of language and of the aims, methods and basic principles of linguistic theory. John Lyons then introduces in turn each of the main sub-fields of linguistics: the sounds of language, grammar, semantics, language change, psycholinguistics: the sounds of language, grammar, semantics, language change, psycholinguistics, language and culture. Throughout the book he emphasizes particularly those aspects of the discipline that seem fundamental and most likely to remain important. He stresses throughout the cultural at least as much as the biological context of human language, and shows how the linguist's concerns connect productively with those of the traditional humanities and the social sciences. Each chapter has a wide-ranging set of discussion questions and revision exercises, and extensive suggestions for further reading. The exposition is marked throughout by the author's characteristic clarity, balance and authority.

Genres: Linguistics, Language, Reference, Nonfiction

366 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1981

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.

Sir John Lyons, LittD, FBA, is an English linguist, working on semantics. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Lyo...]

Reviews

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

God help you if you want to learn about linguistics on you're own. The book helps enormously, but half the time it's very dry and the other half it's technobabble (or linguobabble, I guess) and it doesn't do a good job of reminding you of things you were supposed to have learned earlier on. For example, I took a break between chapter three and chapter four, and forgot most of the stuff from the earlier chapters. I had to go back and reread them. I decided to start taking notes, and that helped, but it would've been nice for the exercises in the book to be a bit more clearly laid out.

But it did have some nice exercises, overall great presentation of material, and I did learn a lot.

[Kirk Lowery]

If you want to understand linguists and linguistics, this is the place to start.

[Didit25]

OK

[کورش علیانی · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a scientific book that you feel the author's presence in an unexpected way when you read it. Unlike usual books you read on this subject, it is not rewriting a pre-determined syllabus; it is not a personal discovery or an intuitive monologue; it is a narrow and exciting path between the two.
Another nice thing about this book is that the author generously shares his ideas with you at every stage of their rawness or maturity.
This book is a call to talk about language and linguistics with someone who knows more than you but still has the patience to make a dialogue with you.
این یک کتاب علمی است که با خواندن آن به شکلی غیر منتظره حضور نویسنده را احساس می‌کنید. برخلاف کتاب‌های معمولی‌ای که در این موضوع می‌خوانید، این یکی بازنویسی یک برنامه‌ی درسی از پیش تعیین‌شده نیست.، یک کشف شخصی یا یک مونولوگ شهودی هم نیست؛ یک مسیر باریک و هیجان انگیز بین این دو است.
یکی دیگر از چیزهای خوب در مورد این کتاب این است که نویسنده سخاوتمندانه ایده های خود را در هر مرحله از خامی یا بلوغ آن‌ها با شما به اشتراک گذاشته است.
این کتاب فراخوانی است برای صحبت درباره‌ی زبان و زبان شناسی با کسی که بیش‌تر از شما می‌داند اما هنوز حوصله‌ی گفت‌وگو با شما را دارد.

[Rustem · Rating 5 out of 5]

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[Marcus Lira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great introduction to linguistics

[Junaid Mirza · Rating 3 out of 5]

it is a good book

[Dahar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh! this book is outstandingly elucidated and detailed about the so-called "linguistics" . I really did whatever it took me, and finally I got it.
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[Ramadan]

i love this book

[Arya · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was published in 1981, when the term morphology was still a little new and uncomfortable to linguists. This has to be borne in mind before reading this book.