BACKGROUND INFORMATION

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Dictionaries and Encyclopedias about Linguistics

Crystal, David. A Dictionary of Linguistics and Phonetics. 5th ed. Malden, MA: Blackwell, 2003.
(online and Olin Reference P 29 .C65 2003)

A tool aimed to assist graduate and undergraduate students encountering the terminology of linguistics and phonetics. Written in technical language using extensive cross-references. No bibliography or reading list.

Encyclopedia of Language and Linguistics. R. E. Asher, editor-in-chief. 10 vols. New York: Pergamom, 1994.
(Olin Reference P 29 .E56)

A detailed and scholarly encyclopedia with useful bibliographies on individual topics. The second edition on order (in print and online).

Encyclopedia of Linguistics. Phillipp Strazny, editor. 2 vols. New York: Fitzroy Dearborn, 2005.
(Olin Reference P 29 .E483 2005)

Written with the non-specialist in mind, entries are arranged alphabetically and conclude with a brief bibliography. Includes languages, language families, concepts and extensive biographical entries.

Glossary of Linguistics. Eugene E. Loos (general editor). SIL International.
(online)

A handy list of definitions for linguistics terms. Example: the definition of phonology from the Glossary of Linguistics.

International Encyclopedia of Linguistics. 2nd ed. 4 volumes. William J. Frawley, editor. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003.
(online and Olin Reference PE 1097 .C43 [1994 ed.])

The Linguistics Encyclopedia. Kirsten Malmkjær, editor. 2nd ed. New York: Routledge, 2002.
(Olin Ref P 29 L52 2002)

Entries are alphabetically arranged, extensively cross-referenced, and include suggestions for further reading. They cover over 150 major and subsidiary fields of linguistic study. Key terms and topics are defined and discussed in context, emphasized in bold type. The scope is broad: physical and mental processes connected with language, its social and cultural role and the contribution its study can make to related disciplines and professions, theory and practice of language study, and diverse approaches to language description, analysis, and interpretation.

Trask, R. L. (Robert Lawrence). A Dictionary of Phonetics and Phonology. New York: Routledge, 1996.
(Olin Reference P 216 .T73x 1996)

"Covers of 2,000 terms. A comprehensive yet concise guide to an enormous number of individual terms and an explanation of the most important theorectical approaches to phonology. [from the cover]

Guides

Dalby, Andrew. A Guide to World Language Dictionaries. London: Library Association Publishing, 1998.
(Olin Reference Z 7004 .D5 D34x 1998)

Each entry cites historical dictionaries, the modern standard dictionary titles, dictionaries of older forms of the language, regional dictionaries, slang dictionaries, and dictionaries of foreign words imported into the language.

DeMiller, Anna L. Linguistics: A Guide to the Reference Literature. 2nd ed. Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 2000.
(Olin Ref Z 7001 .D45x 2000)

An extensive bibliography of the literature of linguistics including reference titles, standard monographs, and core journals.

Pullum, Geoffrey K., and William A. Ladusaw. Phonetic Symbol Guide. 2nd ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1996.
(Olin Reference P 221 .P85x 1996)

Anyone needing to find the meaning of an unfamiliar phonetic symbol will find this book very useful. Entries for characters are arranged dictionary-style according to the shape of the symbol. Cross references are inserted at points where there might be confusion. A section with forty-nine diacritic entries follows the character entries. Major entries for symbols recommended by the International Phonetic Association (IPA) as well as for those used in current American Transcriptional practice. Each major entry begins with a large, clear picture of the symbol along with its standard name, or a descriptive name made up by the authors. Other information that might be included is IPA usage, American usage, other uses, comments about what the symbol stands for, the history of the character, and typographic information about the character.

Information on World Languages

Cambridge Encyclopedia of the World's Ancient Languages. Roger D. Woodard, ed. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2004.
(Olin Reference P 371 .C357 2004 +)

"[C]overage of ancient languages from around the globe. Besides the expected languages such as Sumerian, Akkadian, and Latin, this work is important because of its inclusion of African, Asian, and New World ancient language." [Guide to Reference]

Campbell, George L. Compendium of the World’s Languages. 2nd ed. 2 vols. New York: Routledge, 2000.
(Olin Reference P 371 .C36x 2000)

Each entry contains a brief historical introducation and sections on the language's script, phonology, and morphology and syntax.

Comrie, Bernard. The World's Major Languages. New York: Oxford University Press, 2009.
(Olin Reference P 371 .W6 2009)

The second edition of this scholarly, authoritative work contains fifty chapters, each devoted to a language family or language and written by an expert in that field. Forty-four internationally renowned experts have contributed to this volume. The emphasis, given the expected readership of this guide, is on Indo-European languages with about half the chapters covering languages of this family. Each chapter on a language contains basic material on it structure and its social and historical background; in addition it may highlight different and unusual aspects of the language. References and a bibliography of grammars, surveys, histories, etc., follow each chapter. Figures, maps, tables, and examples are liberally used to illustrate the text.

Encyclopedia of the Languages of Europe. Glanville Price, editor. Malden, MA: Blackwell, 1998.
(Olin Reference P 380 .E53x 1998: also Uris Reference)

The subdivisions of entries varies widely from one language entry to the next. A grab-bag of interesting facts about European languages both modern and ancient.

Encyclopedia of the World’s Endangered Languages. Christopher Moseley, ed. London: Routledge, 2007.
(Kroch Asia Reference P 40.5 .L332 E45 2007)

"[P]rovides a five-grade scale of the level of endangerment for languages around the world. After a general introd. that covers possible causes for language extinction, each chapter addresses the linguistic situation in a particular geographic region, followed by specific languages in alphabetical order, their precise geographic range, and a ranking (potentially endangered, endangered, seriously/severely endangered, moribund, extinct). The scale is based on the age of fluent speakers and the presence of language use in social institutions." [Guide to Reference]

Ethnologue: Languages of the World. 15th ed. Barbara F. Grimes, editor. Dallas: Summer Institute of Linguistics, 2005.
(Olin Reference P 371 .E83 2005 and online)

The Ethnologue is a catalogue of more than 6,900 languages spoken in 228 countries. It tries to bring together the best information available on the languages of the world. Entries represent separate languages or probable languages (highly divergent "dialects") according to their best sources. Each entry lists number of speakers, alternate names, language family, where spoken, religion of speakers, etc. Search by virtually any variation of language name or dialect.

Facts about the World’s Languages: An Encyclopedia of the World’s Major Languages, Past and Present. Jane Garry and Carl Rubino, editors. New York: H.W. Wilson, 2001.
(Olin Reference P 371 .F33x 2001 +)

For each language: Origin and History; Orthography and Basic Phonology; Basic Morphology; Basic Syntax; Contact with Other Languages; Common Words; Example Sentences; Efforts to Preserve, Protect, and Promote the Language; and Select Bibliography.

Dictionaries of a Language: English

The Australian Oxford Dictionary. Bruce Moore, editor. 2nd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004.
(Olin Reference PE 3601 .Z5 A867 2004)

Over 100,000 entries for English words most commonly used in Australia. This title documents this national variation of the language. Take the time to play silly buggers with it, mate.

Dictionary of American Regional English. Frederic G. Cassidy, chief editor. 5 vols. projected. Cambridge, MA: Harvard, 1985- .
(Olin Reference PE 2843 .D55)

A record of of the regional variations in words, pronunciations, and phrases in the United States with historical examples. The first four volumes of DARE covering A-Sk are published (1985-2002). A fifth volume covering the remainder of the alphabet is planned for 2009, to be followed by a volume containing source material.

Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
(2nd ed. in print Olin Reference PE 1625 O86 2002+ and updated online version)

The OED presents in alphabetical series the words that have formed the English vocabulary from the time of the earliest records down to the present day, with all the relevant facts concerning their form, sense-history, pronunciation, and etymology. It embraces not only the standard language of literature and conversation, whether current at the moment, or obsolete, or archaic, but also the main technical vocabulary, and a large measure of dialectical usage and slang. This online edition contains the complete A to Z sequence of the Second Edition, its three-volume Additions Series, and regular updates from the revision programme, which represents the latest progress towards the Third Edition.

See also:

Language Dictionaries Online. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Library, 2007.
(online subject guide)

Links to and brief descriptions of a selected list of reliable dictionaries available online. English language section and bilingual section for working with English and other languages.

Reference Books about Language: English

Crystal, David. The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language. 2nd ed. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2003.
(Olin Reference PE 1072 .C68x 2003)

A beautifully illustrated reference for all aspects of English. Chapter 17, "The Sound System," is about phonetics and phonology.

The Oxford Companion to the English Language. Tom McArthur, ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 1992.
(Olin Reference PE 1628 .O975; also Mann Reference)

A lively textual exploration of the language. There are three types of entries: essay entries, brief dictionary entries for definitions or other explanations, and biographical entries. An updated (2003), abridged version, the Concise Oxford Companion to the English Language, is available online.

Oxford Dictionary of English Grammar. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998.
(Olin Reference PT 41 .E53x 2000 and online)

Entries for 1,000 grammatical terms and their meanings. All the currently accepted terms of grammar are included, as well as older, traditional names, controversial new coinages, and items from the study of other languages. Concise definitions of the wider subject of linguistics, including phonetics and transformational grammar, are accompanied by examples of language in use, and frequent quotations from existing works on grammar.

Peters, Pam. The Cambridge Guide to English Usage. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2004.
(Olin Reference PE 1464 .P48 2004 and online [Ebrary])

The first usage reference to make regular use of larage databases (corpora) of written and spoken English, specifically the British National Corpus (BNC) for British English and American English from the Cambridge International Corpus (CCAE) as well as a series of six questionnaires, the Langscape survey. Usage guidelines are based on a three-point stylistic scale: formal, standard, and informal.

Reference Books about Language: Arabic

Encyclopedia of Arabic Language and Linguistics. Kees Versteegh, general editor. 4 vols. Leiden: Brill, 2006.
(Olin Reference PJ 6031 .E5 2006)

A detailed and scholarly encyclopedic handbook of the language and linguistics of Arabic.

Language Atlases

The Atlas of North American English: Phonetics, Phonology, and Sound Change: A Multimedia Reference Tool. William Labov, Sharon Ash, Charles Boberg. New York: Mouton de Gruyter, 2006.
(Olin Reference PE 2808 .L26 2006 ++). Shelved in the atlas case in Olin Reference. Accompanying CD-ROM available in Electronic Text Center.

"[A] monumental work in the field of dialect geography. Although earlier projects (e.g., Hans Kurath's Linguistic Atlas of New England, 1939-43) published detailed regional data, ANAE is the first such atlas to provide a comprehensive view of vocalic pronunciation and phonology across the continent. Based on a 1992-99 telephone survey (Telsur) of 762 urban English speakers, its aim is to identify the features that distinguish US and Canadian dialects; to document phonemic splits and mergers, and phonetic chain and parallel shifts; and to discover and elucidate the causes of linguistic change." [Choice, 10/1/2006]

The Atlas of the World's Languages. Christopher Moseley and R.E. Asher, editors. 2nd ed. New York: Routledge, 2007.
(Olin Reference G 1046 .E3 A8 2007 ++). Shelved in the atlas case in Olin Reference.

"Traditional atlas format, divided into eight geographic regions, with the Americas section then subdivided. Each section contains blocks of maps, preceded by text on the linguistic history of the region, genetic relations among those languages, their linguistic structure, statistical and sociolinguistics information, and often extensive bibliographies of further resources. That information takes the form of classifications, outlines, one-paragraph descriptions of individual languages, and short encyclopedia articles. Map sections start with environment and population maps, then detailed regional maps marked with linguistic groups. Back-of-the-book language index." [Guide to Reference]

The Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger of Disappearing. 2nd ed. Paris: UNESCO, 2001.
(Olin Stacks P 40.5 .L33 A842 2001 +).

An atlas of languages that extinct (no speakers are left), moribund (only a few elderly speakers are left), or endangered (to varying degrees depending on the age of the remaining speakers) worldwide with explanatory essays at the front.

The World Atlas of Language Structures. Martin Haspelmath, editor. New York: Oxford University Press, 2005.
(Olin Reference P 143 .W67 2005 ++). Shelved in the atlas case in Olin Reference.

The first feature atlas on a worldwide scale, showing abstract features of the language system compared across unrelated languages. "Atlas and accompanying CD-ROM are an outstanding resource for studying the geographical placement of grammar, syntax, and pronunciation. Some 142 world maps and many additional national and regional maps are accompanied by detailed definitions of each structural feature they illustrate." [Guide to Reference]

Other Resources

Gale Virtual Reference Library Gale Group.
(online)

Search across dozens of authoritative subject encyclopedias for articles on your topic.

You can find materials owned by the Cornell University Library in the Cornell Library Catalog. This includes books, journals, magazines, newspapers, videotapes, audiotapes, music CDs, CD-ROMs, DVDs, manuscripts, microfilm, microfiche--in short, anything the library owns.

You can search by author, title, subject heading, call number, or journal title. You can also search by keyword--any combination of words in the author, title, subject, contents, and notes fields. Words are combined using the Boolean operators AND, OR, or NOT. You will have an opportunity to practice this searching in class.

This Web-based catalog also allows you to recall or put a hold on items that are currently checked out by other library users. Clicking on the Requests button and logging in allows you to see what you have checked out; you can also renew your books from this page.

For more information about using the catalog, click on the Help button on the catalog home page.

Things to remember about the Cornell Library Catalog:

• The online catalog lists the holdings of all twenty Cornell libraries.

• You cannot find journal articles in the catalog. Only the titles of journals, magazines, and newspapers are listed along with the years and volumes that we own. See the next section for more information about finding periodical articles.

Library of Congress Classification Outline
(Online at http://www.loc.gov/catdir/cpso/lcco/lcco.html)

Your online guide to the call numbers we use and what they mean.

These resources can also be found by searching Databases Names in the Library Gateway.

LLBA: Linguistics and Language Behavior Abstracts.

An index to scholarly articles, books, book chapters, essays, and book reviews in the field of linguistics and language-related research. LLBA also provides brief abstracts for each work. Covers 1967 to date.

Linguistics Abstracts Online.

Contains abstracts of scholarly articles appearing in linguistics journals from around the world. Also includes abstracts from articles in related fields.

MLA International Bibliography.

An international index and database providing references to scholarly articles from over 4000 journals in literature, folklore, literary theory, semiotics, and linguistics. Useful for finding literary criticism of a particular author or work, as well as articles on literary theory, women's studies, popular culture, and performing arts.

Web of Science: Social Sciences Citation Index. Philadelphia: Institute for Scientific Information, 1956- .

A multidisciplinary database with searchable author abstracts covering the literature of the social sciences. It indexes 1,700 journals spanning 50 disciplines, as well as covering individually selected, relevant items from over 3,300 of the world's leading scientific and technical journals. The unique feature of SSCI is that it allows the user to find related material based on where a particular reference has been cited.

EVALUATING SOURCES

Evaluating the sources you find is a crucial step in the process of library research. The questions you ask about books, periodical articles, or multimedia sources are similar whether you're looking at a citation to the item or have the item in hand.

How to Critically Analyze Information Sources lists some of the critical questions you should ask when you consider the appropriateness of a particular book, article, media resource, or Web site for your research.

Periodicals are aimed at a wide variety of audiences. For help evaluating the articles you find, see Distinguishing Scholarly from Non-Scholarly Periodicals.

The Internet is a democratic tool: anyone can write or say virtually anything they wish on it. As you would do with books and journal articles, look to see who is responsible for producing the web page or site that you are accessing. Does the individual or institution have a particular bias or concern or agenda in presenting their information. How objective is the information? How accurate or truthful? How authoritative? See Five Criteria for Evaluating Web pages.

Using APA Style

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 5th ed, 2001. Copies in Olin and Uris and many other libraries. In Olin and Uris, shelved behind the reference desks Reference BF 76.7 .P83x 2001 +.

APA citation style (APA citation help online)

Managing Citations using RefWorks

RefWorks is a web-based program that allows you to easily collect, manage, and organize bibliographic references by interfacing with databases. RefWorks also interfaces directly with Word, making it easy to import references and incorporate them into your writing, properly formatted according to the style of your choice. For more information and to sign up for an account: http://www.refworks.cornell.edu .

Reference Desk Phone Directory

A research consultation with a reference librarian can be arranged when you need in-depth, personalized research help.