This innovative introduction outlines the structure and distribution of the world’s languages, charting their evolution over the past 200,000 years. Balances

Introduces readers to the rich diversity of human languages, familiarizing them with the variety of languages around the world.

The only textbook of its kind, An Introduction to the Languages of the World is designed to introduce beginning linguistics students, who now typically start th

“Babel is an endlessly interesting book, and you don’t have to have any linguistic training to enjoy it . . . it’s just so much fun to read.” —NPR Eng

The World's Major Languages features over 50 of the world's languages and language families. This revised edition includes updated bibliographies for each chapt