Language Books

Showing 1-50 of 46,068
The Mother Tongue: English and How It Got That Way The Mother Tongue: English and How It Got That Way (Paperback)
by (shelved 816 times as language)
avg rating 3.91 — 44,401 ratings — published 1990
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The Language Instinct: How the Mind Creates Language The Language Instinct: How the Mind Creates Language (Paperback)
by (shelved 788 times as language)
avg rating 4.01 — 22,573 ratings — published 1994
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Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation (Hardcover)
by (shelved 705 times as language)
avg rating 3.87 — 106,544 ratings — published 2003
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Fluent Forever: How to Learn Any Language Fast and Never Forget It Fluent Forever: How to Learn Any Language Fast and Never Forget It (Paperback)
by (shelved 571 times as language)
avg rating 4.08 — 13,249 ratings — published 2014
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Through the Language Glass: Why the World Looks Different in Other Languages Through the Language Glass: Why the World Looks Different in Other Languages (Hardcover)
by (shelved 510 times as language)
avg rating 3.91 — 7,435 ratings — published 2010
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The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary (Paperback)
by (shelved 439 times as language)
avg rating 3.84 — 122,166 ratings — published 1998
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The Etymologicon: A Circular Stroll through the Hidden Connections of the English Language The Etymologicon: A Circular Stroll through the Hidden Connections of the English Language (Hardcover)
by (shelved 426 times as language)
avg rating 4.23 — 12,550 ratings — published 2011
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Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language (Hardcover)
by (shelved 415 times as language)
avg rating 4.05 — 12,587 ratings — published 2019
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The Elements of Style The Elements of Style (Hardcover)
by (shelved 389 times as language)
avg rating 4.18 — 87,346 ratings — published 1918
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Empires of the Word: A Language History of the World Empires of the Word: A Language History of the World (Paperback)
by (shelved 369 times as language)
avg rating 4.07 — 3,105 ratings — published 2005
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The Unfolding of Language: An Evolutionary Tour of Mankind's Greatest Invention The Unfolding of Language: An Evolutionary Tour of Mankind's Greatest Invention (Paperback)
by (shelved 368 times as language)
avg rating 4.22 — 4,080 ratings — published 2005
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Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue: The Untold History of English Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue: The Untold History of English (Paperback)
by (shelved 356 times as language)
avg rating 3.83 — 7,208 ratings — published 2008
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The Stuff of Thought: Language as a Window into Human Nature The Stuff of Thought: Language as a Window into Human Nature (Hardcover)
by (shelved 355 times as language)
avg rating 3.91 — 11,234 ratings — published 2007
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Word by Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries Word by Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries (Hardcover)
by (shelved 283 times as language)
avg rating 4.18 — 9,277 ratings — published 2017
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Metaphors We Live By Metaphors We Live By (Paperback)
by (shelved 273 times as language)
avg rating 4.09 — 6,992 ratings — published 1980
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Made in America: An Informal History of the English Language in the United States Made in America: An Informal History of the English Language in the United States (Paperback)
by (shelved 266 times as language)
avg rating 3.92 — 16,071 ratings — published 1994
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Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism (Hardcover)
by (shelved 263 times as language)
avg rating 3.80 — 119,771 ratings — published 2021
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Lingo: A Language Spotter's Guide to Europe Lingo: A Language Spotter's Guide to Europe (Kindle Edition)
by (shelved 246 times as language)
avg rating 3.92 — 4,710 ratings — published 2014
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Fluent in 3 Months: How Anyone at Any Age Can Learn to Speak Any Language from Anywhere in the World Fluent in 3 Months: How Anyone at Any Age Can Learn to Speak Any Language from Anywhere in the World (Paperback)
by (shelved 231 times as language)
avg rating 3.66 — 5,810 ratings — published 2014
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The Adventure of English: The Biography of a Language The Adventure of English: The Biography of a Language (Paperback)
by (shelved 225 times as language)
avg rating 3.94 — 5,156 ratings — published 2003
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Is That a Fish in Your Ear? Translation and the Meaning of Everything Is That a Fish in Your Ear? Translation and the Meaning of Everything (Hardcover)
by (shelved 219 times as language)
avg rating 3.77 — 2,801 ratings — published 2011
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Wordslut: A Feminist Guide to Taking Back the English Language Wordslut: A Feminist Guide to Taking Back the English Language (Hardcover)
by (shelved 219 times as language)
avg rating 4.23 — 28,520 ratings — published 2019
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The Sense of Style: The Thinking Person's Guide to Writing in the 21st Century The Sense of Style: The Thinking Person's Guide to Writing in the 21st Century (Hardcover)
by (shelved 205 times as language)
avg rating 4.04 — 9,254 ratings — published 2014
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Babel: Around the World in Twenty Languages Babel: Around the World in Twenty Languages (Hardcover)
by (shelved 198 times as language)
avg rating 3.79 — 4,220 ratings — published 2018
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The Art of Language Invention: From Horse-Lords to Dark Elves to Sand Worms, the Words Behind World-Building The Art of Language Invention: From Horse-Lords to Dark Elves to Sand Worms, the Words Behind World-Building (Paperback)
by (shelved 180 times as language)
avg rating 4.13 — 2,047 ratings — published 2015
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Babel Babel (Hardcover)
by (shelved 175 times as language)
avg rating 4.14 — 486,316 ratings — published 2022
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The Story of English The Story of English (Paperback)
by (shelved 171 times as language)
avg rating 4.09 — 2,406 ratings — published 1986
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The Elements of Eloquence: How to Turn the Perfect English Phrase The Elements of Eloquence: How to Turn the Perfect English Phrase (Hardcover)
by (shelved 163 times as language)
avg rating 4.35 — 7,403 ratings — published 2013
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Wheelock's Latin Wheelock's Latin (Paperback)
by (shelved 162 times as language)
avg rating 4.13 — 1,806 ratings — published 1956
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Words and Rules Words and Rules (Paperback)
by (shelved 160 times as language)
avg rating 3.91 — 1,933 ratings — published 1999
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Words on the Move: Why English Won't—and Can't—Sit Still (Like, Literally) Words on the Move: Why English Won't—and Can't—Sit Still (Like, Literally)
by (shelved 159 times as language)
avg rating 4.14 — 1,953 ratings — published 2016
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The Story of English in 100 Words The Story of English in 100 Words (Hardcover)
by (shelved 158 times as language)
avg rating 3.92 — 2,566 ratings — published 2011
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The Horse, the Wheel, and Language: How Bronze-Age Riders from the Eurasian Steppes Shaped the Modern World The Horse, the Wheel, and Language: How Bronze-Age Riders from the Eurasian Steppes Shaped the Modern World (Hardcover)
by (shelved 154 times as language)
avg rating 3.99 — 4,008 ratings — published 2007
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Dreyer's English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style Dreyer's English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style (Hardcover)
by (shelved 146 times as language)
avg rating 4.34 — 9,416 ratings — published 2019
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The Stories of English The Stories of English (Paperback)
by (shelved 143 times as language)
avg rating 4.05 — 1,436 ratings — published 2004
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The Story of Human Language The Story of Human Language (Audio CD)
by (shelved 142 times as language)
avg rating 4.41 — 3,135 ratings — published 2004
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Nine Nasty Words: English in the Gutter — Then, Now, and Forever Nine Nasty Words: English in the Gutter — Then, Now, and Forever (Kindle Edition)
by (shelved 142 times as language)
avg rating 3.94 — 4,362 ratings — published 2021
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The Loom of Language: An Approach to the Mastery of Many Languages The Loom of Language: An Approach to the Mastery of Many Languages (Paperback)
by (shelved 134 times as language)
avg rating 4.16 — 396 ratings — published 1943
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Proto: How One Ancient Language Went Global Proto: How One Ancient Language Went Global (Hardcover)
by (shelved 133 times as language)
avg rating 4.17 — 2,951 ratings — published 2025
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The Language Hoax: Why the World Looks the Same in Any Language The Language Hoax: Why the World Looks the Same in Any Language (Hardcover)
by (shelved 133 times as language)
avg rating 3.73 — 1,461 ratings — published 2014
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Don't Sleep, There Are Snakes: Life and Language in the Amazonian Jungle Don't Sleep, There Are Snakes: Life and Language in the Amazonian Jungle (Hardcover)
by (shelved 130 times as language)
avg rating 3.97 — 6,144 ratings — published 2008
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The Meaning of Everything: The Story of the Oxford English Dictionary The Meaning of Everything: The Story of the Oxford English Dictionary (Paperback)
by (shelved 129 times as language)
avg rating 3.99 — 5,289 ratings — published 2003
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Babel No More: The Search for the World's Most Extraordinary Language Learners Babel No More: The Search for the World's Most Extraordinary Language Learners (Hardcover)
by (shelved 128 times as language)
avg rating 3.54 — 1,484 ratings — published 2012
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In Other Words In Other Words (Hardcover)
by (shelved 128 times as language)
avg rating 3.75 — 15,802 ratings — published 2015
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On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft (Mass Market Paperback)
by (shelved 128 times as language)
avg rating 4.34 — 320,157 ratings — published 2000
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The First Word: The Search for the Origins of Language The First Word: The Search for the Origins of Language (Hardcover)
by (shelved 126 times as language)
avg rating 3.73 — 1,055 ratings — published 2007
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The Horologicon: A Day's Jaunt Through the Lost Words of the English Language The Horologicon: A Day's Jaunt Through the Lost Words of the English Language (Kindle Edition)
by (shelved 123 times as language)
avg rating 3.95 — 2,554 ratings — published 2012
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How Language Works: How Babies Babble, Words Change Meaning, and Languages Live or Die How Language Works: How Babies Babble, Words Change Meaning, and Languages Live or Die (Hardcover)
by (shelved 122 times as language)
avg rating 3.86 — 1,335 ratings — published 2006
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Patrick Rothfuss
“Using words to talk of words is like using a pencil to draw a picture of itself, on itself. Impossible. Confusing. Frustrating ... but there are other ways to understanding.”
Patrick Rothfuss, The Name of the Wind

M.L. Rio
“One thing I'm sure Colborne will never understand is that I need language to live, like food—lexemes and morphemes and morsels of meaning nourish me with the knowledge that, yes, there is a word for this. Someone else has felt it before.”
M.L. Rio, If We Were Villains

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