The Cambridge Handbook of Linguistic Anthropology [Hardcover]

An essential reference guide, this state-of-the-field survey covers a wide range of topics, approaches and theories in linguistic anthropology.The field of linguistic anthropology looks at human uniqueness and diversity through the lens of language, our species' special combination of art and instinct. This state-of-the-field survey covers a wide range of topics, approaches and theories and promotes a broad vision of the subject, spanning a range of disciplines.The field of linguistic anthropology looks at human uniqueness and diversity through the lens of language, our species' special combination of art and instinct. This state-of-the-field survey covers a wide range of topics, approaches and theories and promotes a broad vision of the subject, spanning a range of disciplines.The field of linguistic anthropology looks at human uniqueness and diversity through the lens of language, our species' special combination of art and instinct. Human language both shapes, and is shaped by, our minds, societies, and cultural worlds. This state-of-the-field survey covers a wide range of topics, approaches and theories, such as the nature and function of language systems, the relationship between language and social interaction, and the place of language in the social life of communities. Promoting a broad vision of the subject, spanning a range of disciplines from linguistics to biology, from psychology to sociology and philosophy, this authoritative handbook is an essential reference guide for students and researchers working on language and culture across the social sciences.1. Introduction: directions in the anthropology of language N. J. Enfield, Paul Kockelman and Jack Sidnell; Part I. System and Function: 2. Basics of a language R. M. W. Dixon; 3. The item/system problem N. J. Enfield; 4. Language and the manual modality: the communicative resilience of the human species Susan Goldin-Meadow; 5. Linguistic diversity and universals Balthasar Bickel; 6. Denotation and the plsª