Language Isolates explores this fascinating group of languages that surprisingly comprise a third of the world's languages.
Individual chapters written by experts on these languages examine the world's major language isolates and language isolates by geographic regions, with up-to-date descriptions of many, including previously unrecorded language isolates. Each language isolate represents a unique lineage and a unique window on what is possible in human language, making this an essential volume for anyone interested in understanding the diversity of languages and the very nature of human language.
Language Isolates is key reading for professionals and students in linguistics and anthropology.
Lyle Campbell is a linguist, Professor Emeritus at the University of Hawai'i Manoa. He has also held joint appointments in Anthropology, Latin American Studies, Linguistics, and Spanish.
List of figures
List of maps
List of tables
List of contributors
Introduction Lyle Campbell
1 Language isolates and their history
Lyle Campbell
2 Ancient Near Eastern and European isolates
Piotr Michalowski
3 Basque and the reconstruction of isolated languages
Joseba A. Lakarra
4 Ainu
Thomas Dougherty
5 Burushaski
Alexander D. Smith
6 Other isolated languages of Asia
Stefan Georg
7 African language isolates
Roger Blench
8 Language isolates of North America
Marianne Mithun
9 Language isolates of Mesoamerica and Northern Mexico
Raina Heaton
10 Language isolates in South America
Frank Seifart and Harald Hammarström
11 Language isolates in the New Guinea region
Harald Hammarström
12 Language isolates of Australia
Claire Bowern
13 Endangerment of language isolates
Eve Okura
Index