The Story of Language Author:Mario Pei Instrument of Culture--The structure of language; how it is formed and changed...a review of the modern spoken languages...Language and its relation to religion, politics and economics, science and literature, superstition and intolerance...Dialects, place names, family names...Problems of language learning and how they can be solved...Slang, ca... more »nt, jargon...Evolution of writing...The controversial probem of an international language...
These are just a few of the subjects Mario Pei discusses in this enlightening and entertaining study of language--that most basic and marvelously complex instrument of culture.« less
Divided into 5 sections: The History of Language; it's Constiuent Elements of ...; the Social Functions of ...; the Modern Spoken Tongue; An International Language.