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An overview of language rights issues and language conflicts with detailed examination of many cases past and present around the world.
List of contents
Introduction; Part I. Language and the Speaker: 1. The sounds and sounds systems of language; 2. Words and word structure; 3. Grammar and the organization of words into expressions; 4. Language change and variation - languages vs. dialects; Glossary for Part I; Further readings and resources for Part I; Part II. Language in the World: 5. Language and personal identity - personal names in the world; 6. Language and cultural identity - language and thought; 7. Language and national identity; 8. The role of writing systems; 9. Framing language rights in the context of human rights; Further readings and resources for Part II; Part III. A Typology of Language Conflicts: Introduction to Part III; 10. Indigenous minorities; 11. Geopolitical minorities; 12. Minorities of migration; 13. Intra-linguistic (dialectal) minorities; 14. Competition for linguistic dominance; Further readings and resources for Part III; Part IV. Language Endangerment, Extinction, and Revival: 15. Linguistic taxonomy, ecology, and ownership; 16. Language revitalization and revival; Further readings and resources for Part IV; References; Language index; Country/territory index; General index.
About the author
William D. Davies is Professor and Chair of Linguistics at the University of Iowa. He has published four books, three edited volumes, and sixty-seven articles and book chapters, largely on the morphology and syntax of various languages, including Balinese, Basque, Choctaw, English, Fula, Javanese, Madurese, Sundanese, and Telugu. He is also an Associate Editor of Oceanic Linguistics.Stanley Dubinsky is a Professor of Linguistics and former director of the Linguistics Program at the University of South Carolina. He has published three books, four edited volumes, and sixty-one articles and book chapters on the syntax and semantics of various languages, including English, Japanese, Korean, Hebrew, and two Bantu languages (Chichewa and Lingala).
Summary
This introduction to ethnolinguistic conflict and language rights issues is designed both for linguists and for anyone interested in language's role in international and intranational relations. It offers a typology of conflicts and illustrative case studies, with particular attention to the role of language in individual, societal, and national identity.
