The World Atlas of Language Structures is a book & CD combination displaying the structural properties of the world's languages. 142 world maps & numerous regional maps
- all in colour
- display the geographical distribution of features of pronunciation & grammar, such as number of vowels, tone systems, gender, plurals, tense, word order, & body part terminology. Each world map shows an average of 400 languages & is accompanied by a fully referenced description of the structural feature in question. The CD provides an interactive electronic version of the database, which allows the reader to zoom in on or customize the maps, to display bibliographical sources, & to establish correlations between features. The book & the CD together provide an indispensable source of information for linguists & others seeking to understand human languages. The Atlas will be especially valuable for linguistic typologists, grammatical theorists, historical & comparative linguists, & for those studying a region such as Africa, Southeast Asia, North America, Australia, & Europe. It will also interest anthropologists & geographers. More than fifty authors from many different countries have collaborated to produce a work that sets new standards in comparative linguistics. No institution involved in language research can afford to be without it.