The Routledge Handbook of Asian Linguistics

Book excerpt: The Routledge Handbook of Asian Linguistics provides a comprehensive overview of the ways in which Asian languages should be conceptualized as a whole, the distinct characteristics of each language group and the relationships and results of interactions between the languages and language families in Asia. Asia is the largest and the most populous continent on earth, and the site of many of the first civilisations. This handbook aims to provide a systematic overview of Asian languages in both theoretical and functional perspectives, optimally combining the two in intercultural settings. In other words, this handbook will provide a reference for researchers of individual Asian language or language groups against the background of the entire range of Asian languages. Not only does this handbook act as a reference to a particular language, it also connects the language to other Asian languages in the perspective of the entire Asian Continent. Cultural roles and communicative functions of language are also emphasised in this handbook as an important domain where the various Asian languages interact and shape each other. With extensive coverage of both theoretical and applied linguistic topics, The Routledge Handbook of Asian Linguistics is an indispensable resource for students and researchers working in this area.