history of language | Yale University Press Blog

August 18, 2017
in American History, European History, History, Humanities

The Historical Assault on the Language of the Deaf

August 18, 2017
in American History, European History, History, Humanities

Gerald Shea— Noam Chomsky, giving a lecture in Chicago in 1965, mistakenly defined language as “a specific sound-to-meaning correspondence.” When asked where this left the signed languages of the Deaf, Chomsky revised his definition on the spot, calling language a specific signal to meaning correspondence. The distinction was important, for it was

December 6, 2011
in History, Literature, Social Science

For Those Who Never Tire of Words

December 6, 2011
in History, Literature, Social Science

“Language is different from every other subject you’ll ever study, because language is a part of everything you’ll ever study,” David Crystal writes in A Little Book of Language, now available in paperback. Written to appeal to readers in their early teens and late 50s alike, Crystal’s book is a

December 14, 2010
in Social Science

For Every Word You Ever Said

December 14, 2010
in Social Science

There is A Little Book of Language, by David Crystal, that tells a history of words and language, how we learn, distinguish, and develop our very sense of self through what we say and read. Everything from ancient and dying languages to text-messaging is briskly covered in this readable volume.

Tag history of language

The Historical Assault on the Language of the Deaf

For Those Who Never Tire of Words

For Every Word You Ever Said