SKU: 15999463497

The Unfolding of Language: An Evolutionary Tour of Mankind's Greatest Invention

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The Unfolding of Language: An Evolutionary Tour of Mankind's Greatest InventionBlending the spirit of Eats, Shoots & Leaves with the science of The Language Instinct, an original inquiry into the development of that most essential and mysterious of human creations: Language Language is mankind's greatest invention except, of course, that it was never invented. So begins linguist Guy Deutscher's enthralling investigation into the genesis and evolution of language. If we started off with rudimentary utterances on the level of man

Blending the spirit of Eats, Shoots & Leaves with the science of The Language Instinct, an original inquiry into the development of that most essential-and mysterious-of human creations: Language

Language is mankind's greatest invention-except, of course, that it was never invented. So begins linguist Guy Deutscher's enthralling investigation into the genesis and evolution of language. If we started off with rudimentary utterances on the level of man throw spear, how did we end up with sophisticated grammars, enormous vocabularies, and intricately nuanced degrees of meaning?

Drawing on recent groundbreaking discoveries in modern linguistics, Deutscher exposes the elusive forces of creation at work in human communication, giving us fresh insight into how language emerges, evolves, and decays. He traces the evolution of linguistic complexity from an early Me Tarzan stage to such elaborate single-word constructions as the Turkish sehirlilestiremediklerimizdensiniz (you are one of those whom we couldn't turn into a town dweller). Arguing that destruction and creation in language are intimately entwined, Deutscher shows how these processes are continuously in operation, generating new words, new structures, and new meanings.

As entertaining as it is erudite, The Unfolding of Language moves nimbly from ancient Babylonian to American idiom, from the central role of metaphor to the staggering triumph of design that is the Semitic verb, to tell the dramatic story and explain the genius behind a uniquely human faculty.

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Owl Books (NY)
Published: 05/02/2006
ISBN: 9780805080124
Pages: 358
Weight: 0.90lbs
Size: 9.20h x 6.44w x 1.01d
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SKU: 15999463497

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J A.
Bozeman, US
★★★★★ 5
An excellent addition to the library of books about the life of Churchill.
Format: Hardcover
Excellent story of Churchill's years in the wilderness, warning of the growing threat of Nazi Germany from 1932 to the early of the war. Thoroughly researched and well written, given the complexities of what was going on contemporaneously.
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Reviewed in the United States on February 10, 2025
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Andrew Maile
Massapequa, US
★★★★★ 5
Just like the PBS series....
Format: Hardcover
This book is a step, or two, deeper into the 'wilderness years' than the PBS series by the same name. But frankly, the series, available on YouTube, is a better buy (it's free) for the money and quite entertaining due to its great casting with folks like Robert Hardy, Sian Phillips, and Eric Porter. But, if you're a reader, this book is worth the effort and cost.
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Reviewed in the United States on March 6, 2025
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Flying the flag on a golf cart in TX
San Leandro, US
★★★★★ 5
A great book about a great estate and the great man who inhabited it.
Format: Kindle
Carter does a superb job of accurately recounting the history of Chartwell and the people and events that made it such a special place.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 20, 2025
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Dan
Los Angeles, US
★★★★★ 5
How to understand bogus textualist constitutional interpretation
Format: Paperback
Very thorough and well informed guide to understanding how our constitution is being hijacked by textual interpretation.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2024
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Chloe McElroy
Massapequa, US
★★★★★ 5
Sooooo cute!!!
Format: Hardcover
I really enjoyed this story!! It shows that children are capable of great ideas and should be listened to! Also, that prejudice comes from all angles and that people will go to any lengths to prove their point, even if they do something wrong and malicious to prove it. Great children’s book and a book adults could definitely learn a thing or two from!! It was also much longer than I thought it would be which was a very nice surprise. Looking forward to the sequels!
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Reviewed in the United States on November 8, 2021

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