Reference Works
There are many handbooks, dictionaries, and encyclopedias that provide basic information on Linguistics. If you wish to explore a linguistics topic, these reference sources provide definitions and introductory information about the subject. Other resources are also available in the Reference Room.
Oxford Bibliography of Linguistics
Includes regularly updated bibliographies by leading experts.
Routledge Dictionary of Language and Linguistics
P29 .B875 1996
Concise scholarly articles on historical, comparative and typological linguistics as well as on applied subdisciplines. Covers core areas such as phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics and pragmatics. Includes bibliographical references, illustrations and diagrams.
The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language
Ref P29 .C64 1997
The goal of this work, organized in 11 parts covering 65 thematic areas, is to demonstrate the great diversity of the world's languages and to convey the value of linguistic research. Copiously illustrated.
A Dictionary of Linguistics & Phonetics
Ref P29 .C65 2003
Contains definitions of terms used in linguistics and language study.
An Encyclopedic Dictionary of Language and Languages
P29 .C68 1992
Consists of brief entries on a wide range of practical rather than theoretical linguistics topics. Areas covered include typography, language teaching, and speech pathology.
The Encyclopedia of Language and Linguistics
International in character, this is a comprehensive, multi-volume work that covers not only the core areas of linguistics, but also more peripheral areas. An important aspect of the work is its interdisciplinary nature covering subjects such as anthropology, psychology and philosophy as they touch upon language. Articles range in length from a few sentences to long essays.
International Encyclopedia of Linguistics
Ref P29 .I58 2003
A comprehensive multi-volume work covering all aspects of linguistics. It is particularly strong in current concepts. The last volume includes an outline of included articles by broad subject and a list of language related articles by language family.
Concise Encyclopedia of Sociolinguistics
Ref P40 .C564 2001
Encyclopedia of Semiotics
Ref P99 .E64 1998
Contains three hundred articles covering a wide range of twentieth-century topics such as the study of signs, communication, and culture. The work also delves into non-Western philosophical and linguistic traditions.
Encyclopedic Dictionary of Semiotics
Ref P99 .E65 1986
Includes entries that cover the historical background of semiotics and its present usage of terms, brief biographies of preeminent scholars in semiotics, and essays on the impact of semiotics on the arts and sciences.
Handbook of Semiotics
Ref P99 .N6513 1990
A systematic treatment of semiotics that begins with its history and proceeds to a discussion of the work of modern scholars in the field. Includes an extensive bibliography.
An Encyclopaedia of Language
Ref P106 .A46 1989
A collection of scholarly essays on how language affects thought and experience, how language is learned and taught, and how we study it. The essays are divided into three parts: "The Inner Nature of Language", "The Larger Province of Language", and "Special Aspects of Language".
Linguistics: A Guide to the Reference Literature
P121 .D45 2000
A guide to the reference literature of linguistics published from 1957 to 1998. Primarily Western in focus, this book covers bibliographic and reference sources rather than scholarship in the field.
The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the World's Ancient Languages
Ref P140 .C36 2004
Essentially a collection of linguistic descriptions of "all known ancient languages", this is a convenient starting place for research on the grammars of ancient languages.
The Dictionary of Historical and Comparative Linguistics
Ref P143 .T727 2000
The first dictionary to define the terms used by the first branch of linguistics to obtain a scholarly footing. Most of the terms it defines are not listed in existing general or specialized dictionaries of linguistics.
Classification and Index of the World's Languages
Ref P203 .V6
A detailed arrangement of the genetic interrelationships and classification of the world's languages.
A Dictionary of Phonetics and Phonology
Ref P216 .T73 1996
A concise dictionary of terms that, in addition, provides an explanation of the important theoretical approaches to phonology.
Concise Encyclopedia of Grammatical Categories
Ref P240.5 .C66 1999
A collection of articles on the grammatical categories that have been useful for the analysis and description of the structure of languages.
Compendium of the World's Languages
Ref P371 .C36 2000
The goal of this two-volume work is to include all of the world's literary languages, along with some others that lack a literary tradition but are of sufficient interest for inclusion, and explain how they actually work.
Style Manual
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers
Ref LB2369 .G53 2009
MLA made easy: Citation Basics for Beginners