First published in 1997 and now with over 3,150 clear, concise entries, this eminently serviceable dictionary explores the theory of language, outlines language history and explains key ideas in linguistics, grammatical terms in English and grammatical categories in other languages. New to this edition is expanded coverage of linguists (such as recent theorists Peter Trudgill and Dell Hymes), and of regional dialects. New topics include the age‐related phenomenon of “Estuary English”. Entries throughout have been updated and where necessary corrected.
This popular dictionary is the work of Peter H. Matthews, Emeritus Professor of Linguistics and Cambridge University. His publications in the field of linguistics include Inflectional Morphology (1972, 2nd ed. 1991), Generative Grammar and Linguistic Competence (1979), Syntax (1981), Grammatical Theory in the United States from Bloomfield to Chomsky (1993), A Short History of Structural Linguistics (2001), Syntactic Relations (2007) and Linguistics: A Very Short Introduction (2003). Professor Matthews acknowledges specialist help received but stresses that he alone is responsible for the dictionary's final content. The author of a dictionary such as this has to be “singular”. Worldwide coverage need not strive for unattainable completeness. The headwords chosen are “a product of judgement, not of accumulation”. So no point in identifying omissions!
The Introduction (pp. vii‐x) discusses the criteria of choice used, most of which will be approved by linguists. My one regret is the limitation of IPA transcriptions only to words “when I thought that readers might be in doubt”. Matthews' thoroughly cross‐referenced definitions are terse, masterly and readily intelligible, by scholar and lay reader alike:
age‐grading Variation in speech that is correlated with the age of speakers. E.g. certain forms of slang may at any time be commoner in schoolchildren than in adults
Akan Group of dialects or closely related languages spoken mainly in Ghana: separately named Asante, Fante and Akuapem (or Twi)
Cacuminal An old term for *retroflex
Cambodian=Khmer
lexicography The writing of dictionaries, for practical use or for any other purpose: distinguishable as such from *lexicology
onomastics The study of personal names, e.g. Mary or Smith. Alternatively, that of both personal names and place‐names
zoosemiotics Term coined in the 1960s for the study of systems of communication in species other than man. The implication is that, with linguistics, this is a branch of semiotics
Succinct and sensible! Grammar, phonetics, semantics, languages, dialects, and sociolinguistics are all covered thoroughly, with a sure, experienced hand.
An essential, budget‐priced reference work for students and their teachers, and a first‐rate introduction to language study for the general reader. Useful library stock at all levels.
