Dwight Bolinger Books

Offering a critical examination of language, this book serves both as an introduction and a challenge to conventional beliefs about linguistic understanding. Originally published in 1980, it explores the complexities and nuances of language, questioning established notions and encouraging readers to rethink their perspectives. Reissued as a Routledge Linguistics Classic, it remains a significant work for those interested in the intricacies of communication and the implications of language in society.

Born to speak --Some traits of language --Distinctive sound --Sounds and words --Lexicon --Syntax --Meaning --Mind in the grip of language --Psychology and language learning --The origin of language --Variation in space --Variation in time : sources of variation --Variation in time : the outcome of variation --Writing and reading --Schools and theories --Language and the public interest --Style.