An unusual and authoritative 'natural history of languages' that narrates the ways in which one language has superseded or outlasted another at different times in history. The story of the world in the last five thousand years is above all the story of its languages. Some shared language is what binds any community together, and makes possible both the living of a common history and the telling of it. Yet the history of the world's great languages has rarely been examined. 'Empires of the Word' is the first to bring together the tales in all their glorious variety: the amazing innovations -- in education, culture and diplomacy -- devised by speakers in the Middle East; the uncanny resilience of Chinese throughout twenty centuries of invasions; the progress of Sanskrit from north India to Java and Japan; the struggle that gave birth to the languages of modern Europe; and the global spread of English. Besides these epic achievements, language failures are equally fascinating: why did Germany get left behind? Why did Egyptian, which had survived foreign takeovers for three millennia, succumb to Mohammed's Arabic? Why is Dutch unknown in modern Indonesia, given that the Netherlands had ruled the East Indies for as long as the British ruled India? As this book engagingly reveals, the language history of the world shows eloquently the real characters of peoples; it also shows that the language of the future will, like the languages of the past, be full of surprises.

本书概括介绍了西夏历史和西夏文文献，主要论述了西夏文字构造、西夏语音、词汇、语法，并解读各种类型的西夏文文献。其中有大量的例字、例词和例句以及大量文献图版。本书稿是作者集50年西夏文学习、研究的积累，并在长期教学实践中不断探索，编纂成的国内外第一部西夏文教程，具有开创性、前沿性和实用性。

《从古代英语到标准英语》是“当代国外语言学与应用语言学文库”系列丛书之一。本书以历史文本为基础，通过对历史文本的介绍、阐释和评论，描述英语的演变。 This practical and informative course book is a fascinating, visual volume which leads the student through the development of the language from Old English, through Middle and Early Modern English to the establishment of standard english in the eighteenth century. At the core of this subatantially expanded second edition lies a series of nearly 200 historical texts, of which more than half are reproduced in facsimile. and which illustrate the progressive changes in the language. The book is firmly based upon linguistic description. with commentaries which form a series of case studies demonstrating the evidence for language change at every level-handwriting, spelling, punctuation. vocabulary, grammar and meaning. Such a wealth of texts, as well as the structured activities and the various case studies, allow the ovlune to be used not only as a stimulating course text., guiding students through the analysis of data. but also as a comprehensive resourec book and invaluable reference tool for teachers and students at all levels. Dennis Freeborn was formerly Head of English Language and Linguistics at the University College of Ripon York St John. and Chief examiner in A-level English L anguage. ULEAC. He is now Director of York English Language Studies Associates (YELSA). providing A-level Englihsh language teaching materiabssand in-service courses.

你知道吗，boycott（抵制）、July（七月）、sandwich（三明治）都跟历史人物有着密不可分的联系？英语语言中有一份重要且丰厚的遗产，那就是源自人名的词汇和短语。这些词语或来自神话、圣经、传说故事中的人物，或取自文学作品中的人名，又或者与科学家、发明家、探险家的名字有关。作者追根溯源，为你讲述这些词语的含义和词源故事，让你在识记单词的同时获得阅读的乐趣。

《古埃及圣书字导读》以大英博物馆所藏的部分古埃及文物（以石碑为主）上的圣书铭文为学习材料，循序渐进地介绍了铭文所反映的中古埃及语的语法要点以及古埃及人生活方式的相关方面，简明扼要，准确可信，出版以来被翻译成多国语言，成为一本国际畅销书。 这是一本优秀的古埃及圣书字入门书。所选主要是丧葬铭文，这些有趣的文字对我们理解古埃及的法老政治、家庭生活和看待死亡的方式极有帮助。本书以清晰而吸引人的图片展示了许多古埃及文物上的真实圣书字铭文，并以这些铭文为教学材料，循序渐进地对圣书字和中古埃及语语法进行了简明扼要的讲解。每章之后设计了极其实用的练习题。