01302nam a2200241Ia 450000500170000000800410001724500500005810000180010826000560012630000170018230000110019950000360021002000220024665000210026865000270028905000140031654600120033050503540034252003290069633600090102533700150103433800110104920260803094042.0251212s2009    xx            000 0 und d1 aLanguage : bthe big picture /cPeter Sharpe.  aSharpe, Peter  aLondon :bContinuum International Pub Group,c2009.  axiv, 254 p.:  c22 cm.  aIncludes bibliography and index  a978-0-8264-9815-1  aEnglish language  aLanguage and languages  a420 Sh23l  aEnglish  aWhat are the origins of language? -- Is language exclusive to humans? -- Why do languages change? -- How does language vary across cultures? -- Where does Noam Chomsky fit into linguistics? -- How scientific can linguistic theory be? -- What makes semantics difficult? -- From whence the power of symbols? -- How is language represented in the mind?  aLanguage is an essential part of our everyday lives. This book presents an introduction into the inner workings of language, and illustrates its use, variation and methodology. It examines the origins of language, how language produces meaning, the variation of language across cultures, and how language is used in society.  aText  aUnmediated  aVolume