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Language and Linguistics Collection: mostly books in the reference collections

John Rawlings, rawlings@stanford.edu (650)723-3101

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Online Indexes and abstracts

LLBA, 1973+ | MLA Bibliography, 1961+ | Bibliographie Linguistique = Linguistic Bibliography Online | Dissertation Abstracts, 1861+ | ERIC, 1966+ | SSCI Social Sciences Citation Index | PsychInfo, 1987+ | Sociological Abstracts, 1974+ | INSPEC and Engineering Village . Abstracts greatly enhance keyword searching results. Be aware of indexes that include abstracts (e.g., LLBA), descriptors only (MLA), or author/title only (citation indices).

Print reference sources

Basic information: Subject encyclopedias & dictionaries | Languages & language families, general | Languages, statistical & comparative data | Word roots

Dictionaries and Encylcopedias

• A Dictionary of Linguistics & Phonetics 6th ed. (2008). D. Crystal, ed. Info Center and Green Library Stacks P29.C65.
• Sociolinguistics, an international handbook of the science of language and society (2006).
• The Encyclopedia of Language & Linguistics 2nd ed. (2006) 14 v. Info Center. Language and languages--Encyclopedias; Linguistics--Encyclopedias. Its earlier ed.:
• The Encyclopedia of Language & Linguistics (1994) 10 v. Green Library Stacks.
• International Encyclopedia of Linguistics 2nd ed. (2003) 4 v. Info Center P29.I58. Oxford.
• The Linguistics Encyclopedia 2nd ed. (2002). Info Center P29.L52.
• The New handbook of language and social psychology / edited by W. Peter Robinson and Howard Giles. (2001).
• The Handbook of phonetic sciences (1997) Blackwell. SSRC and Green Library Stacks P221 .H28 1997. Phonetics--Handbooks, manuals, etc.
• Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language 2nd ed. (1997). Info Center P29.C64. A popular work.
• A dictionary of phonetics and phonology (1996) Routledge. Info Center.
• Concise encyclopedia of syntactic theories (1996) OUP. Info Center P291. Grammar, Comparative and general--Syntax.
• A dictionary of grammaticalization (1994) 3 v. Info Center P299.G73L37.
• An Encyclopaedia of Language (1990). Info Center P106.A46.
• Handbook of semiotics (1990). Info Center P99.N6513.
• Linguistics: The Cambridge Survey (1988-) 4 v. Green Library Stacks and SAL P121.L567. Volumes 1 and 2 cover linguistic theory; vol. 3: psychological and biological aspects of language; vol. 4: sociolinguistics. There are extensive bibliographies.
• Terminologie zur neueren Linguistik 2nd ed. (1988) 2 v. Info Center P29.A27.
• Dictionary of Stylistics (1988). Info Center P301.W35.
• Longman's Dictionary of Applied Linguistics (1985). Info Center P129.R5.
• A Grand Dictionary of Phonetics: a comprehensive store of neo-macro-phonetics (1981). Info Center P221.G9.
• Lexikon der Germanistischen Linguistik 2nd ed. (1980). Lane Room PF3071.L49. Emphasizes German scholarship and Germanic linguistics. Each article includes a bibliography.
• Current Trends in Linguistics (1965-1976) 14 v. Green Library Stacks P1.C8. An encyclopedic compendium of linguistic information. Volume 14 is the Index volume and is shelved in Reference; check this work out for almost anything concerning linguistics.
• Dictionary of Language and Linguistics (1972). Info Center P29.H34 DESK. A classic reference source, now dated, that also includes a list of abbreviations, symbols and conventions, consonant chart, international phonetic alphabet, examples of non- alphabetic scripts, list of languages of over one million speakers, location and linguistic affiliation.
• Le langage (1973). Green Library Stacks P29.L34. Linguistics--Dictionaries--Polyglot.
• Encyclopedic Dictionary of the Sciences of Language (1972) Ducrot & Todorov. Info Center P29.D813.
• Le langage. Sous la direction d'André Martinet (1968). Green Library Stacks P49 .M3. Encyclopédie de la Pléiade.

• Handbucher zur Sprach- und Kommunikationswissenchaft = Handbooks of linguistics and communication science:
  • Dialektologie (1982) 2 v. Green Library Stacks.
  • Sprachgeschichte: ein Handbuch zur Geschichte der deutschen Sprache und ihrer Erforschung 2nd ed. (1998-). Lane Room PF3075.S76. v. 1, 3-4.
  • Sociolinguistics, an international handbook of the science of language and society (2006).
  • Computational linguistics (1989). Math & Comp Sci.
  • Worterbucher: ein internationales Handbuch zur Lexikographie (1989-). Lane Room P327.W67 1989.
  • Semantik (1991). Green Library Stacks.
  • Sprachphilosophie (1992-). Green Library Stacks.
  • Syntax (1993-). Green Library Stacks.
  • Schrift und Schriftlichkeit (1994-). Lane Room Z40.S27.
  • Kontaktlinguistik: ein internationales Handbuch zeitgenossischer Forschung (1996).

Checklists

• Ethnologue. The 14th ed.(2000) of the print ed. is shelved in the Info Center P106.E8. The second volume is the index.
• The linguasphere register of the world's languages and speech communities (1999-2000). Info Center P371 .D354.
• Ruhlen (1987) A Guide to the World's Languages (Info Center P203.R8 1987). Cf. "Language Families of the World" in Ruhlen (1976) Guide to the Languages of the World (Green Library Stacks P203.R8).
• Voeglin (1976) Classification and Index of the World's Languages (Info Center P203.V6).
• Languages of the World: A Multi-lingual Concordance of Languages, Dialects and Language Families . . . (1987). Info Center P203.K54.
• Les Langues dans le monde ancien et moderne (1981-). Info Center and Lane Room P121.L285. Vol. 1: African languages; Pidgins & Creoles; Vol.2: Maps supplements to v.1; Vol.3: Cushitic- Semitic languages.
• Les Langues du monde (1951). Info Center P201.M4. Map Supplements are shelved at the Reference Desk.
• "Languages of the World" in Encyclopedia Britannica, 15th ed. (10: 662-672).
• "Sprachen der Erde" in Meyers enzyklopaedisches Lexikon (v. 22: 330-353).
• "Les Langues" in La Grande encyclopedie Larousse (7: 6947-54).
• Meier & Meier (1979) Handbuch der Linguistik und Kommunikations- Wissenschaft, v.1 Sprache... Info Center P29.M4. Includes 8 language maps.
• Library of Congress (1956) Index to Languages and Dialects. SAL III Z696.U5.P65. Outdated but still useful guide to the LC classification scheme for languages.
• Countries, Peoples & Their Language: The Geolinguistic Handbook (1991). SSRC P371.G86. Ch. 4.
• Thesaurus of African Languages (1987). Info Center PL8005.T54.

Individual Languages & Dialects

Compendia of basic information including grammar, alphabet, transliteration, etc. Also see sources under Checklists.

• The Atlas of languages: the origin and development of languages throughout the world Rev. ed. (2003). Info Center P106 .A85.
• Katzner (2002) The Languages of the World 3rd ed. Info Center P201.K35.
  • Pt. 1. Language families | Pt. 2. Individual languages | Pt. 3. Country-by-country survey
• Campbell (1999) Compendium of the World's Lanaguages, 2 ed., 2v. Info Center P371.C36 2000.
• A Manual of European Languages for Librarians 2nd ed. (1999).
• Dalby (1998) Dictionary of languages: the definitive reference to more than 400 languages. Info Center P29.D35 1998.
• Malherbe (1995) Les Langues de l'humanite: une encyclopédie des 3000 langues parlées dans le monde. Info Center P371.M34.
• Comrie (1987) The World's Major Languages. Info Center P321.W6.
• Languages of Asia and the Pacific (1984) Info Center P381.A75.H35.
• South Asian Languages: A Handbook (1985). Info Center P381.S58.S599.
• Languages of South Asia : a guide (1982).
• The Polynesian languages ; a guide (1982).
• Languages of Australia and Tasmania (1972) / [By] S. A. Wurm.
• Pei (1960) The World's Chief Languages 5th ed. Info Center P121.P36.
  • Pt. 1. Language types and language families | Pt. 2. Geography & languages | Pt. 3. Individual languages | Index to linguistic maps & alphabets
• A Guide to Foreign Languages for Science Librarians & Bibliographers (1965).
• Manual of Foreign Languages 4th ed (1952).
• Handbook of American Indian Languages (1911-38) 3 v. Lane Rm PM108.B7.

Many works include information on writing systems and alphabets. Particularly useful are:

• Gilyarevsky (1970) Languages Identification Guide Info Center P213.G4913. One of the single most useful sources for information on alphabets and scripts.
• The world's writing systems (1996) Info Center Z40.W65.
• Written Languages of the World: A Survey of the Degree and Modes of Use (1977-1998) 5 v. Info Center P371.W7.
• Handbook of scripts and alphabets (1997). LOCATION: Info Center P211 .C25.
• Alphabets de langues africaines (1993) PL8007.A47 1993 f. African languages--Alphabet. African languages--Writing.

Language Maps & Dialect Atlases

Material listed here is in the reference Collections. Many language maps are in the Green Stack; use the SOCRATES search strategy FIND SUBJECT LANGUAGE MAPS combined with geographical, ethnic and/or language keywords and also the search strategy FIND SUBJECT LINGUISTIC GEOGRAPHY combined with geographical, ethnic and/or language keywords. General atlases often include language & ethnolinguistic maps, e.g., the C.I.A.'s Communist China Map Folio, and Historical Atlas of Africa. Many of the works listed in this guide include more or less detailed maps.

• Atlas of the World's Languages 2nd ed. (2007) Info Center P375.A84 f. Linguistic geography.
• Les Langues dans le Monde ancien et moderne (1981-). Info Center P121.L285. Updates material in Meillet (1952) Les Langues du Monde Nouv. éd., P201.M4.
• Countries, Peoples & Their Language: The Geolinguistic Handbook (1991). Info Center P371.G86. Numerous maps throughout.
• Words: An illustrated History of Western Languages (1983). Info Center PB45.W67. Includes a number of maps.
• Sprache, V. 1 of Handbuch der Linguistik und Kommunikations- wissenschaft. (1979). Info Center P29.M4. Eight maps in pocket.
• Language Atlas of the Pacific Area (1984). Lane Rm G2202.E15.E3.A9. Published by the Australian Accademy of the Humanities, it consists of 47 individual maps each 21 x 15 inches, covering New Guinea, Oceania, Australia, Philippines, and mainland and insular Southeast Asia.
• Language Atlas of China (1988). Lane Rm PL1033.L36f11 f.
• Dalby (1977) Language Map of Africa and the adjacent islands. Lane Rm PL8005.D3.
• Atlas linguistico de Mexico (1990-). Lane Rm PC4831.A85 1990 ff (Library has c.1: t.1:v.1-3). Spanish language--Dialects--Mexico--Maps.
• Native Peoples & Languages of Alaska (1982) Single map sheet.
• dtv-Atlas zur deutschen Sprache: Tafelin und Texte (1978). Info Center PF3777.K64. Includes historical maps.
• The Linguistic Atlas of England (1978). Lane Rm PE1705.L56. English language--Dialects--England--Maps.
• Computer Developed Linguistic Atlas of England (1991) Lane Rm G1816.E3.C73f.
• Linguistic Atlas of Late Mediaeval English (1986) 4 v. Lane Rm PE170.5M35.

Statistical & Comparative Data

Part I of Ethnologue, "Languages of the World," provides language-by-language information. Part II "steps back from the detail to offer a summary view of the world language situation. Specifically, it offers numerical tabulations of languages and number of speakers by world area, by language size, by language family, and by country": World area | Language size | Language family | Country

Print reference books

• Gyula Decsy summarizes a great deal of statistical data from many of the sources listed below in his five volume Statistical Report on the Languages of the World (1985). Info Center P375.D4.. This work consists of:
  • Part 1. List of languages in decreasing order of speakers
  • Part 2. List of languages arranged according to linguistic phyla
  • Part 3. List of languages arranged according to continents and countries
  • Part 4. Alphabetical list of languages arranged according to continents
  • Part 5. Cumulative alphabetical Index

• Linguistic Composition of the Nations of the World (1974-1984) 6 v. Green Library Stacks P138.5.U5. Compiles data from other works, e.g., Ethnologue.
• Written Languages of the World: A Survey of the Degree and Modes of Use (1977-1998) 5 v. Info Center P371.W7.
• Decsy (1988) Select Catalog of Language Universals. Info Center P204.D42.

  Human Relations Area Files (HRAF) have a section devoted to language subdivided by the following topics: speech, vocabulary, grammar, phonology, stylistics, semantics, linguistic identification & special languages. The fiche files are located in the Microtext Room. The HRAF classification scheme is based on two handbooks: Murdock (1975) Outline of World Cultures 6th ed., and Murdock (1960) Outline of Cultural Materials 5th ed.

Comparative phonetics

• Sounds of the World's Languages (1996). Info Center P221 .L24.
• Patterns of Sound (1984). A systematic survey of the frequency and distribution of phonemic sound found in the languages of the world, based on UPSID, UCLA Phonology Segment Inventory (1981).
• Ruhlen (1987) A Guide to the World's Languages. Final chapter.
• Ruhlen (1976) Guide to the Languages of the World.

Languages spoken in a particular country

• Ethnologue. The second volume of the print version is the index: Info Center P106.E8.
• Katzner (1975) The Languages of the World, 2nd ed., P201.K35.
• Linguistic Composition of the Nations of the World (1974-1984) 6 v. Green Library Stacks P138.5.U5.
• Countries, Peoples & Their Language: The Geolinguistic Handbook (1991). Info Center P371.G86.

Number of speakers

• Ethnologue. The second volume of the print version is the index: Info Center P106.E8.
• Statistical Report on the Languages of the World as of 1985 (1988). Info Center P375.D4.
• Linguistic Composition of the Nations of the World (1974-1984) 6 v. Green Library Stacks P138.5.U5.
• Countries, Peoples & Their Language: The Geolinguistic Handbook (1991). Info Center P371.G86.

Official languages of countries

"Official Language," Wikipedia | Ethnologue: Country index

A chart and a map are found in "Sprachen der Erde" in Meyers enzyklopaedisches Lexikon, v.22; and in "Les Langues" in La Grande encyclopedie Larousse, v.7, repectively. Current information by country can be found in a number of almanacs and political yearbooks (e.g., Europa). Also:

• Countries, Peoples & Their Language: The Geolinguistic Handbook (1991). Info Center P371.G86.
• Writing Systems of the World: Alphabets, Syllabaries, Pictograms (1990). Info Center Z40 .N2613
• Linguistic Composition of the Nations of the World (1974-1984) 6 v. Green Library Stacks P138.5.U5.

Number of languages

• Ruhlen (1987) Guide to the Languages of the World, pp. 1-4.
• Linguistic Composition of the Nations of the World (1974-1984) 5 v. Introductory sections.

Nearly Extinct Languages

• Ethnologue
  • Africa (46 total)
  • The Americas (170 total)
  • Asia (78 total)
  • Europe (12 total)
  • The Pacific (210 total)

Other Topics

English word roots

• A dictionary of English affixes : their function and meaning (2007).
• Word stems: a dictionary (1996). Info Center PE1580 .K43. TOPICS: English language--Etymology--Dictionaries.
• The word: the dictionary that reveals the Hebrew sources of English (1995) PE1582.H4M69 1995. English language--Foreign elements--Hebrew. English language--Etymology--Dictionaries. Hebrew language--Influence on English--Dictionaries.
• Thesaurus of Word Roots of the English Language (1992). Info Center PE1580.D36.
• The Roots of English : a reader's handbook of word origins (1989). Info Center PE1580.C56. English language-- Roots--Dictionaries. English language--Etymology--Dictionaries. English language--Word formation--Dictionaries.
• American Heritage Dictionary of Indo-European Roots (1985). Info Center P615.A43.
• The Origins of English Words: A Discursive Dictionary of Indo-Euuropean Roots (1984). Info Center PE1571.S46.
• Dictionary of Word Roots and Combining Forms (1971). Info Center QH3.B68.
• Dictionary of English Word Roots (1966). Info Center PE1580.S65.

Frequency Analysis

See chapter 15 "The Statistical Analysis of Language" in The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language (1997). Use subject searches in SOCRATES: English language--word frequency; German language--word frequency, etc. Letter frequency: chapter 15 of The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language. Only a few compilations are shelved in the Info Center.

• Word Frequencies in British & American English (1982). Info Center PE1691.H71.
• Frequency Analysis of English Usage: Lexicon & Grammar (1982). Info Center PE2839.F7.
• Word Frequencies of Spoken American English (1979). Info Center PE2808.8.D3.
• Relative Frequency of English Speech Sounds (1923). English language--Statistics.

Last modified: October 7, 2008