Introducing Language Typology

Language typology identifies similarities and differences among languages of the world. This textbook provides an introduction to the subject which assumes minimal prior knowledge of linguistics. It offers the broadest coverage of any introductory book, including sections on historical change, language acquisition, and language processing. Students will become familiar with the subject by working through numerous examples of crosslinguistic generalizations and diversity in syntax, morphology, and phonology, as well as vocabulary, writing systems, and signed languages. Chapter outlines and summaries, key words, a glossary, and copious literature references help the reader understand and internalize what they have read, while activities at the end of each chapter reinforce key points. 'Textbooks like Moravcsik's Introducing Language Typology are hard to find. In a clear, logical and readable style, she introduces students not only to the basic concepts and methods in linguistic typology but also to the fundamentals of linguistics. This textbook will be appreciated and loved by students and lecturers alike for many years to come.' Jae Jung Song, University of Otago 'An excellent, and highly needed introduction to linguistic typology, not only for courses that specifically focus on typology, but for all those who want to present linguistic issues in a typological perspective. It leads readers step by step from every day experience to more abstract realms of linguistics. It includes topics that are often neglected in introductory treatments of typology, such as phonology and the lexicon. The wealth of data from different languages makes the book easily usable as support for teaching across different theoretical frameworks.' Silvia Luraghi, University of Pavia1. What is language typology?; 2. The worlds of words; 3. Assembling words; 4. Dissembling words; 5. The sounds of languages; 6. Language in flux; 7. Explaining crosslinguistic preferences.