Writing Systems: An Introduction to Their Linguistic Analysis (Cambridge Textbooks in Linguistics)

292 Pages·2002·7.41 MB·English

by  Florian Coulmas

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Writing Systems
AnIntroductiontotheirLinguisticAnalysis
During its long history the problem of reducing language to writing, and con-
versely that of interpreting written signs as language, has found a variety of
solutions,whichstillexistintheformofdifferentwritingsystems.Writtenby
a leading expert, this new textbook provides an accessible introduction to the
majorwritingsystemsoftheworld,fromcuneiformtoEnglishspelling.Florian
Coulmas presents detailed descriptions of the world’s writing systems and ex-
plainstheirstructuralcomplexitiesaswellastheintricaterelationshipbetween
writtenandspokenlanguage.Thebookalsoprovidesaclearandengagingac-
countofthehistoryofwritinganditsconsequencesforhumanthoughtandliterate
society.
Thisillustratedtextbookincludesquestionsfordiscussionattheendofeach
chapter,andanup-to-dateexplanationoftheoreticalissues.Clearlyorganizedand
engaginglywritten,itistheidealtextbookforuseincoursesonwritingsystems.
FLORIAN COULMAS is Professor of Japanese Studies at Gerhard Mercator
University,Duisburg.Hehaspublishedseveralworksonwritingandwrittenlan-
guage including The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Writing Systems (1996) and
TheWritingSystemsoftheWorld(1989).

CAMBRIDGE TEXTBOOKS IN LINGUISTICS
Generaleditors: P. AUSTIN, J. BRESNAN, B. COMRIE,
W. DRESSLER, C. J. EWEN, R. LASS,
D. LIGHTFOOT, I. ROBERTS, S. ROMAINE,
N. V. SMITH
Inthisseries
P. H. MATTHEWS MorphologySecondedition
B. COMRIE Aspect
R. M. KEMPSON SemanticTheory
T. BYNON HistoricalLinguistics
J. ALLWOOD, L.-G. ANDERSON and O¨. DAHL LogicinLinguistics
D. B. FRY ThePhysicsofSpeech
R. A. HUDSON SociolinguisticsSecondedition
A. J. ELLIOTT ChildLanguage
P. H. MATTHEWS Syntax
A. RADFORD TransformationalSyntax
L. BAUER EnglishWord-Formation
S. C. LEVINSON Pragmatics
G. BROWN and G. YULE DiscourseAnalysis
R. HUDDLESTON IntroductiontotheGrammarofEnglish
R. LASS Phonology
B. COMRIE Tense
W. KLEIN SecondLanguageAcquisition
A. J. WOODS, P. FLETCHER and A. HUGHES StatisticsinLanguageStudies
D. A. CRUSE LexicalSemantics
A. RADFORD TransformationalGrammar
M. GARMAN Psycholinguistics
G. G. CORBETT Gender
H. J. GIEGERICH EnglishPhonology
R. CANN FormalSemantics
P. J. HOPPER and E. C. TRAUGOTT Grammaticalization
J. LAVER PrinciplesofPhonetics
F. R. PALMER GrammaticalRolesandRelations
M. A. JONES FoundationsofFrenchSyntax
A. RADFORD SyntacticTheoryandtheStructureofEnglish:aMinimalist
Approach
R. D. VAN VALIN, JR, and R. J. LAPOLLA Syntax:Structure,Meaning
andFunction
A. DURANTI LinguisticAnthropology
A. CRUTTENDEN IntonationSecondedition
J. K. CHAMBERS and P. TRUDGILL DialectologySecondedition
C. LYONS Definiteness
R. KAGER OptimalityTheory
J. A. HOLM AnIntroductiontoPidginsandCreoles
C. G. CORBETT Number
C. J. EWEN and H. VAN DER HULST ThePhonologicalStructureofWords
F. R. PALMER MoodandModalitySecondedition
B. J. BLAKE CaseSecondedition
E. GUSSMAN Phonology
M. YIP Tone
W. CROFT TypologyandUniversalsSecondedition
F. COULMAS WritingSystems:anintroductiontotheirlinguisticanalysis

Writing Systems
An Introduction to their Linguistic Analysis
FLORIAN COULMAS
  
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Cambridge University Press
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Published in the United States of America by Cambridge University Press, New York
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© Florian Coulmas 2003
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without the written permission of Cambridge University Press.
First published in print format 2002
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