Buy new:
-47% $31.92
FREE delivery Tuesday, May 14 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Ships from: Amazon.com
Sold by: Amazon.com
$31.92 with 47 percent savings
List Price: $59.99

The List Price is the suggested retail price of a new product as provided by a manufacturer, supplier, or seller. Except for books, Amazon will display a List Price if the product was purchased by customers on Amazon or offered by other retailers at or above the List Price in at least the past 90 days. List prices may not necessarily reflect the product's prevailing market price.
Learn more
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
FREE delivery Tuesday, May 14 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35. Order within 2 hrs 41 mins
Only 20 left in stock (more on the way).
$$31.92 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$31.92
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Ships from
Amazon.com
Ships from
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Returns
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Returns
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Payment
Secure transaction
Your transaction is secure
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Payment
Secure transaction
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
$15.66
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
Ships direct from Amazon! Qualifies for Prime Shipping and FREE standard shipping for orders over $35. Ships direct from Amazon! Qualifies for Prime Shipping and FREE standard shipping for orders over $35. See less
FREE delivery Wednesday, May 15 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
$$31.92 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$31.92
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Amazon book clubs early access
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access

Join or create book clubs

Choose books together

Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Explore Amazon Book Clubs
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

David Crystal
+ Follow
More books from this author
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language 3rd Edition

by David Crystal (Author)
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 161 ratings
See all formats and editions
{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$31.92","priceAmount":31.92,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"31","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"92","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"8M4RizmvBGf3aN%2BLofiXr22N6qHAhEdfGZ5BoXFwu7hf04lw99g7vOdOl8U%2FNEaWPjX7KidlDhPdiUC3zD11rGFk6dXvE7gZSxF0PtmsZL1TdubDVxROmWNIS5DvJT5JJFVgKPqEH5E%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$15.66","priceAmount":15.66,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"15","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"66","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"8M4RizmvBGf3aN%2BLofiXr22N6qHAhEdfn0uzp%2FmDuvcmTK6lqEQvwmjBnEDgm7Ea1oFXJ5Q2P%2Bcu4TW58hC0bRAuoZ9LT6gZ647jfAn6x%2BhoriESjI5gNFvdTOG8SHOdyD6%2FsjCQEkJ5d83QMdaviMEBoLkUamZIftuSARJpKqCPUOJ5ypBjbw%3D%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

This new, thoroughly revised edition of the acclaimed Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language incorporates the major developments in language study which have taken place since the mid 1990s. Two main new areas have been added: the rise of electronic communication in all its current forms from email to texting, and the crisis affecting the world's languages, of which half are thought to be so seriously endangered that they will die out this century. • All language statistics have been updated, and additional information provided about their linguistic affiliation • All topics involving technology have been revised to take account of recent developments, notably in phonetics, language disability, and computing • Maps have been revised to include new countries or country names • Special attention has been paid to fast-moving areas such as language teaching and learning • The text design has been completely updated with many new illustrations throughout
Read more Read less
Previous page
  1. ISBN-10
    0521736501
  2. ISBN-13
    978-0521736503
  3. Edition
    3rd
  4. Publisher
    Cambridge University Press
  5. Publication date
    July 26, 2010
  6. Language
    English
  7. Dimensions
    8.43 x 1.65 x 10.87 inches
  8. Print length
    524 pages
  9. See all details
Next page
Amazon First Reads | Editors' picks at exclusive prices

Frequently bought together

The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language
$31.92
Get it as soon as Tuesday, May 14
Only 20 left in stock (more on the way).
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
+
Languages of the World
$38.39
Get it as soon as Wednesday, May 15
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
+
The Power of Babel: A Natural History of Language
$13.69
Get it as soon as Tuesday, May 14
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
Total price:
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Details
Added to Cart
Some of these items ship sooner than the others.
Show details Hide details
Choose items to buy together.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for Previous Edition: ‘… a celebration of language in all its oddity, beauty, fun, astonishing complexity and limitless variety.’ --London Review of Books

‘… an ingenious tour de force … stunningly diverse linguistic menu.’ --Robert Burchfield, The Times

‘… David Crystal has a great facility for explaining language issues with plain good sense, wit and admirable brevity.’ --The Times Educational Supplement

Book Description

This completely revised and expanded edition of Crystal's acclaimed book incorporates developments in the lively field of language study.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Cambridge University Press; 3rd edition (July 26, 2010)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 524 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0521736501
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0521736503
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 4.63 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.43 x 1.65 x 10.87 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 161 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
David Crystal

David Crystal

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

David Crystal is honorary professor of linguistics at the University of Wales, Bangor. He has written or edited over 100 books and published numerous articles for scholarly, professional, and general readerships, in fields ranging from forensic linguistics and ELT to the liturgy and Shakespeare. His many books include Words, Words, Words (OUP 2006) and The Fight for English (OUP 2006).

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
161 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

N. Lee Beneze
5.0 out of 5 stars Superb Encyclopedic Book
Reviewed in the United States on March 4, 2013
Verified Purchase
I picked up a first edition of this book in a used book store some years ago, and found it useful even before I took a course in linguistics in graduate school. When I started my course, I bought the new edition of the book to use as a secondary reading for my course.

I have found this book extremely helpful: it broadly comprehensive, sufficiently technically detailed to help get reader a grip on any particular sub-area of linguistics, yet quite readable. The illustrations, charts, and maps make it inviting to open up and start reading.

I used this book to supplement the required readings in my course (and often used this as a gateway to the more difficult readings). I would enthusiastically recommend it to any person interested in language, whether as a formal student or simply an interested reader.
14 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Jason
5.0 out of 5 stars Easily accessible reference reading
Reviewed in the United States on March 8, 2013
Verified Purchase
I had the 2nd edition of this book for a very long time (almost 15 years) and am glad I updated to the newer 3rd edition. This edition has welcome updates to make it feel more modern and current, particularly when dealing with things like computers/technology and language. This really is an encyclopedia, with coverage on just about any topic of language you can think of. It doesn't delve very deep in some of the entries, but it is a very good starting point and easily accessible. This book is often the first stop I make to get information before venturing on to more detailed or focused books on a particular language topic. In short, if I was stranded on an island and could only have one book on language, this would probably be it! Highly recommended.
17 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
R. Manley
5.0 out of 5 stars Good overview on Language and its history
Reviewed in the United States on August 4, 2017
Verified Purchase
Good overview on Language and its history. Divides the book up by different topics on language, such as speech acts, sign language etc.. Since it does talk about many aspects of language and many topics, each topic is briefly talked about, so this is good as a base, but if you are looking for really in-depth detail on a specific topic then it might not be as useful, however, he does talk about the founders for each type of topic, which is useful for researchers who are new to a topic.
6 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Hidemasa Yamaguchi
5.0 out of 5 stars Language
Reviewed in the United States on November 7, 2013
Verified Purchase
More than 20 years ago I bought the first edition of this book. The third edition has really undergone a great evolution since then. New chapters have been added to expand general linguistic approaches, studies and researches.
Language, as everyone knows, is always changing as it represents human life style on the "go".This book is epitomized by the human life style. Particularly the chapter on the Internet language is very interesting. If you are interested in language and liguistics. the book is "must-read".
4 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Michael Moore
5.0 out of 5 stars I read an interview with Steven Pinker in the NY ...
Reviewed in the United States on November 9, 2014
Verified Purchase
I read an interview with Steven Pinker in the NY Times Review of Books and read where Pinker said Crystal was really THE MAN when it came to language acquisition and linguistics. This is an affordable (in paperback) monster encyclopedia just loaded with all kinds of information about language(s). it should be a must have resource for parents and early childhood teachers. I find myself referring to it in all my literacy education courses I teach.
4 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
George K.
5.0 out of 5 stars timely delivery of an awesome book
Reviewed in the United States on June 18, 2013
Verified Purchase
I knew this book to be an authority in English language studies during undergraduate and graduate years. But it has always been a rare commodity in my university in Ghana. And so the sight of this book and in its most updated edition made me so eager to possess it. The delivery was so timely the book gives me so much satisfaction. It has been tremendously updated to reflect modern trends which makes the book an asset to possess.
9 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
stevewheal
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the great books!
Reviewed in the United States on July 9, 2019
Verified Purchase
This book certainly covers the territory. It introduces many interesting ways of thinking about languages, your own and everybody else's, too. It is huge, and profusely illustrated. Even so, it is understandable, and always compelling.
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
Marlon Munhoz
5.0 out of 5 stars O melhor
Reviewed in Brazil on January 18, 2018
Verified Purchase
Na minha humilde opinião, o melhor livro sobre linguística que tive a oportunidade de ler em minha vida. Bem completo e engloba todos os campos da linguística. Valeu cada centavo.
2 people found this helpful
 Report
karma namgyal
5.0 out of 5 stars Research area
Reviewed in India on November 10, 2019
Verified Purchase
I like research area
Report
Amazon Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars An amazing journey and a magnificent book...
Reviewed in Canada on May 25, 2017
Verified Purchase
This book is truly amazing and worth every penny. The scope is enormous, and yet the reader never feels either overwhelmed or deprived of information on the topic no matter how deep Crystal goes. The graphics and inserts help to make the enormous amount of sheer knowledge and information it contains more digestible. A must-own for students and teachers of language and literature, and highly recommended for anyone interested in anything and everything related to language. A fascinating, beautiful book with amazing, full-color graphics, photos, charts, maps and more in addition to the engaging and very readable prose that underpins the work.

The only reason I didn't give five stars is because I purchased a new paperback copy and the one I received seems lightly used. The gloss on the jacket is dull and smudged in some places, the top rear corner is dog-eared, the bottom edge pressed and creased in places, with a noticeable crease and wrinkling on the rear jacket in a place that suggests it has been perused more than once. Shipping was very fast and the price is more than worth the product. All in all, I would happily buy this same book again and am satisfied with the product. Not only is it a great addition to my library that I will always cherish, but one that I will surely read from cover-to-cover and refer to again and again in my teaching practice and ongoing learning.
One person found this helpful
 Report
m.i
3.0 out of 5 stars 良くレビューを読んでおくべきでした。
Reviewed in Japan on March 30, 2017
Verified Purchase
The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language (英語) ペーパーバック – 2003/8/4 David Crystal (著) の新装版として記載されていたので購入してみたのだが、どうも内容が異なるようでこちらは言語関連主体の内容でした。
英語自体の百科事典を探していたので買い直しする必要が出てきました。
よく吟味してなかったのも悪いのですが、ちゃんとこちらのも中見せをしておいてほしかったです。
まあ、この本自体は興味深い内容では有ったのでこのままパラパラとページをめくりながら楽しんで読んでます。
2 people found this helpful
 Report
H. Trost
5.0 out of 5 stars Ein Buch für alle an Sprache interessierten
Reviewed in Germany on March 31, 2014
Verified Purchase
Es ist unglaublich, wieviel an Information in gut verständlicher Form der Autor in dieses Buch gepackt hat. Ist für den interessierten Laien ebenso geeignet wie für den Spezialisten. Sogar in Zeiten, in denen man denkt, dass alle Information über das Internet verfügbar ist, ist dieses Buch eine gute Investition. So kompakt und kompetent wird man sonst nirgends über alle Aspekte menschlicher Sprache informiert.
Report