Peter K. Austin

1000 Languages gives the reader an interesting introduction not only to the major languages spoken today (Chinese, English, Spanish, Hindi, etc.) but also important regional languages for each continent. Most languages have an introduction about its history, literature, and speakers; though unfortunately grammar and syntax are often not discussed.

Aside from major global languages, numerous lesser known languages are covered, though some languages are missed out (Indonesian being a notable one). Of particular interest are the chapters on extinct languages ranging from Hittite and Latin to more recently Ubykh, and on endangered languages grouped by continent, which highlights the pressing need for language preservation, particularly in America.

Nevertheless, Austin provides an admirable introduction to the world's numerous languages and this book is perfect for that or for libraries. It will provide an excellent base for further study about language.… (more)

Finally, a coffeetable book I could, likesay, love. This glossy wonderbrick gives us two-page spreads on each of the world's eleven languages above 100 million L1 speakers: Mandarin--with a neat-and-tidy little breakdown of the difference between Mandarin and Putonghua; English--with comparative OE, ME and ModE numerals; Hindi--with some practical examples of the differences between Hindi and Urdu vocab; Spanish--with a quick breakdown of Spain/New World differences; Russian--with Lenin looking sharp on propaganda posters, which just makes me happy (but in all seriousness, the bright and well-chosen images are a big part of the pleasure here. Consume the world from your couch or loveseat! sip that hot chocolate or toddy! stay off the internet in your idle moments!); Bengali--which I had NO IDEA was so big, dude. 230 millions!; Arabic--with good examples of dialectal difference, which we've all heard is a big deal in Arabic but didn't really know how much; Portuguese--with the tidbit that it is one of the official languages of Timor L'Este, which oh hey makes sense given the name of the country but is also cause to reflect on the effect of friendly feelings and general goodwill in linguistic choice (the Timorese being Catholic, and the period after decolonization having been so hard for them and all); French--the 'first vernacular', which is an interesting way of looking at it (like Japan's pride of place in a certain era among a certain type of colonial activist for being the first Asian country to industrialize; like, hell, the primacy of Ingwe and the Vanyar for being the first of the Eldar to step onto the soil of Valinor--if you'll forgive the analogy); German--which is credited with 128 million speakers, which I can't see (Deutschland+Oesterreich+Schweiz=around 105m on a good day, and how many Amish are there?) unless we're counting Dutch, which is only okay on some terms, obviously; and Japanese--with, again superfast and -clear, a breakdown of the Altaic/Pacific controversy (a grammar like Turkish and a phonology like Hawaiian).


See what fun this book is? Every page you turn gives you more pictures and more material for lazy speculation. Occasionally it can give you a good entry point into an aspect of a language when the specialist literature is kicking your ass and Wikipedia is having one of its shitty days. There are sections on all the other regions of the world, with some spotlighted languages, and then endangered and extinct languages at the back, and that shit is poignant as all get out. I even just used it for actual academic work--a Fula numeral list that I wanted to compare to the one in Mungo Park.


I'm giving this 4.5 stars because it left out Malay, which is spoken by 40 million L1 speakers, somewhere approaching 200m total speakers (because Malay and Indonesian are the SAME THING. Did I just blow your mind?), and, well, because come on. Nobody puts Malay in the corner! But if you gave it 5, I'd be all right.… (more)