Linguistics and your language

This book is intended as a brief, popular discussion of a number of problems connected with language, and of the science of language- linguistics- and what it can contribute to the solution of these problems. There have been a number of recent expositions of linguistics, particularly Hackett's A Course in Modern Linguistics; their purpose, however, and their scope are somewhat different from those of this book. The aim of this book is not to give so thorough a discussion of linguistic science, as does Hockett, for instance; on the other hand, it stresses somewhat more than previous works the conclusions of linguistics and their implications for our society. It is, to a certain extent, a tract addressed to the general public, in favor of a scientific attitude towards language and of linguistic relativism and tolerance, but including only as much detailed scientific analysis as is necessary to justify or exemplify its statements and conclusions.