General editors
P. Austin (School of Oriental and African Studies, London)
B. Comrie (University of California, Santa Barbara)
R. Lass (University of Cape Town)
D. Lightfoot (Georgetown University)
K. Rice (University of Toronto)
I. Roberts (University of Cambridge)
S. Romaine (University of Oxford)
This series offers general accounts of the major language families of the world, with volumes organized either on a purely genetic basis or on a geographical basis, whichever yields the most convenient and intelligible grouping in each case. Each volume compares and contrasts the typological features of the languages it deals with. It also treats the relevant genetic relationships, historical development and sociolinguistic issues arising from their role and use in the world today. The books are intended for linguists from undergraduate level upwards, but no special knowledge of the languages under consideration is assumed. Volumes such as those on Australia and the Amazon Basin are also of wider relevance, as the future of the languages and their speakers raises important social and political issues.