Re: more book advice

At 06:16 PM 6/2/2000 CDT, Danny Wier wrote:
>Nicole,
>
>In answer to your question:
>
>There is one book that's the virtual bible for general linguistics I and
>other recommend above all else: _The World's Major Languages_, ed. Bernard
>Comrie.  The Big Green Book I call it.  I checked that book out not a few
>times, but the last time I had it in my hands, it was stolen!  (Now who
>would steal a highly technical book without pictures of naked people?!)
I'd second that recommendation.  I think there's now a paperback edition.
I'd also strongly recommend another book by Comrie: _Language Universals
and Linguistic Typology_ (University of Chicago Press, 1989, ISBN
0-226-11433-3, paperback).  That's the second edition; my accidental
discovery of the first edition in my local public library, back in about
1982, was one of the major turning points in my development as a conlanger
and amateur linguist.  It gives clear and straightforward introductions to
lots of essential concepts, not assuming much prior knowledge but also not
talking down to the reader.  It really gave me a coherent conceptual
framework for conlanging, which I hadn't had before, and which I've been
refining and building on (but not changing in any fundamental way) ever since.

- Tim

------------------------------------------------------------
Tim Smith

"To live outside the law you must be honest."
        -- Bob Dylan