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Title details for Don't Believe a Word by David Shariatmadari - Available

Don't Believe a Word

by David Shariatmadari
Damian Lynch
Audiobook
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An entertaining and highly informed guide to what languages are and how they function. Everyone likes to think they know a bit about language: There are some words that you simply can't translate into English. The origin of a word tells you how it should be used. A dialect is inferior to a language. The problem is, none of these statements are true. In Don't Believe a Word, linguist David Shariatmadari explodes nine common myths about language and introduces us to some of the fundamental insights of modern linguistics. By the end of this eye-opening tour, listeners will understand that grammatical "errors" are in fact the foundation of modern English; that the meaning of a word is not what a dictionary says, but how it's used; and that the difference between what gets labeled a "language" or "dialect" is political, rather than scientific. Don't Believe a Word offers an accessible and thorough introduction to the science behind one of the most essential aspects of our daily life.
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Publisher: HighBridge Edition: Unabridged

OverDrive Listen audiobook

  • ISBN: 9781684576920
  • File size: 259131 KB
  • Release date: January 7, 2020
  • Duration: 08:59:51

MP3 audiobook

  • ISBN: 9781684576920
  • File size: 259163 KB
  • Release date: January 7, 2020
  • Duration: 09:04:50
  • Number of parts: 9
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Formats

OverDrive Listen audiobook
MP3 audiobook

subjects

Grammar & Language Usage Language Arts Nonfiction

Languages

English

An entertaining and highly informed guide to what languages are and how they function. Everyone likes to think they know a bit about language: There are some words that you simply can't translate into English. The origin of a word tells you how it should be used. A dialect is inferior to a language. The problem is, none of these statements are true. In Don't Believe a Word, linguist David Shariatmadari explodes nine common myths about language and introduces us to some of the fundamental insights of modern linguistics. By the end of this eye-opening tour, listeners will understand that grammatical "errors" are in fact the foundation of modern English; that the meaning of a word is not what a dictionary says, but how it's used; and that the difference between what gets labeled a "language" or "dialect" is political, rather than scientific. Don't Believe a Word offers an accessible and thorough introduction to the science behind one of the most essential aspects of our daily life.
Expand title description text
Grammar & Language Usage Language Arts Nonfiction