Understanding Cultures through their Key Words by Anna Wierzbicka

Description

This book develops the dual themes that languages can differ widely in their vocabularies, and are also sensitive indices to the cultures to which they belong. Wierzbicka seeks to demonstrate that every language has ""key concepts,"" expressed in ""key words,"" which reflect the core values of a given culture. She shows that cultures can be revealingly studied, compared, and explained to outsiders through their key concepts, and that the analytical framework necessary for this purpose is show more provided by the ""natural semantic metalanguage,"" based on lexical universals, that the author and colleag show less

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Anna Wierzbicka

26+ Works 326 Members

Anna Wierzbicka is Professor of Linguistics at the Australian National University. She is the author of numerous books spanning anthropology, psychology, cognitive science, philosophy, and religious studies, as well as linguistics.

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Oxford Studies in Anthropological Linguistics (8)

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Canonical title: Understanding Cultures through their Key Words
Alternate titles: Understanding cultures through their key words : English, Russian, Polish, German, and Japanese

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Genres: Anthropology, Nonfiction, General Nonfiction
DDC/MDS: 306.4 — Society, government, & culture Social sciences, sociology & anthropology Social Behavior - Dating, Marriage, Divorce Specific aspects of culture
LCC: P35 .W54 — Language and Literature Philology. Linguistics General
BISAC: LAN LANGUAGE ARTS & DISCIPLINES Linguistics General

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Languages: English
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ISBNs: 5

Understanding Cultures through their Key Words

by Anna Wierzbicka

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