Don't Believe a Word by David Shariatmadari

£9.99
Available
Product Ref. (e.g. ISBN, SKU)
9781474608459
Published:
20 Aug 2020
Format:
Paperback
Number of pages:
324 pages
Dimensions:
194x128x26mm
Weight:
0.240kgs
Everyone likes to think they know a bit about language. Inuits have 50 words for snow; there's a term in Portuguese you simply can't translate; if you know the origin of a word you're better informed about its meaning; standards of grammar have taken a nosedive in recent years. The problem is, none of these statements are true. In this book, trained linguist David Shariatmadari takes us on a mind-boggling journey through the science of language, urging us to abandon our dearly-held beliefs in a bid to uncover the (far more interesting) truth about what we do with words.

'Wonderful. You finish the book more alive than ever to the enduring mystery and miracle of that thing that makes us most human' STEPHEN FRY

'Most popular books on language dumb down; Shariatmadari's smartens things up, and is all the more entertaining for it' THE SUNDAY TIMES, a Book of the Year

'A meaty, rewarding and necessary read' GUARDIAN

'Fascinating and thought-provoking . . . crammed with weird and wonderful facts . . . for anyone who delights in linguistics it's a richly rewarding read' MAIL ON SUNDAY

- A word's origin doesn't tell you what it means today
- There are languages that change when your mother-in-law is present
- The language you speak could make you more prone to accidents
- There's a special part of the brain that produces swear words

Taking us on a mind-boggling journey through the science of language, linguist David Shariatmadari uncovers the truth about what we do with words, exploding nine widely-held myths about language while introducing us to some of the fundamental insights of modern linguistics.

About the Author: David Shariatmadari is a writer and editor at the GUARDIAN. He read Linguistics at Cambridge University, and went on to study at the University of London, where he focused on neurolinguistics and sound change. He was awarded a Master's degree with distinction after completing his thesis in phonology. DON'T BELIEVE A WORD is his first book.

More Information
Number of pages 324

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