Indo–European Language and Culture: An Introduction

Indo–European Language and Culture: An Introduction provides a comprehensive overview of comparative Indo–European linguistics and the branches of the Indo–European language family, covering both linguistic and cultural material. Opening with an introduction to the comparative method of linguistic reconstruction and discussion of the culture and homeland of the Indo–Europeans, the volume provides detailed overviews of the phonology, morphology, and syntax of reconstructed Proto–Indo–European. Each branch’s development from ancient to modern times is outlined, and illustrative text samples are given along with translations, etymological commentary, exercises and suggestions for further reading in all chapters. This new edition contains illustrations and photographs of inscriptions illustrating the ancient writing systems, and enhanced and new coverage of dozens of languages. Corrected, revised, and with greater coverage than the first edition, Indo–European Language and Culture is the definitive introduction to the field.

Table of Contents. 1 Introduction: The Comparative Method and the Indo–European Family. 2 Proto–Indo–European Culture and Archaeology. 3 Proto–Indo–European Phonology. 4 Proto–Indo–European Morphology: Introduction. 5 The Verb. 6 The Noun. 7 Pronouns and Other Parts of Speech. 8 Proto–Indo–European Syntax. 9 Anatolian. 10 Indo–Iranian I: Indic. 11 Indo–Iranian II: Iranian. 12 Greek. 13 Italic. 14 Celtic. 15 Germanic. 16 Armenian. 17 Tocharian. 18 Balto–Slavic. 19 Albanian. 20 Fragmentary Languages

Benjamin W. Fortson IV is Assistant Professor of Greek and Latin Language, Literature, and Historical Linguistics in the Department of Classical Studies at the University of Michigan.

Praise for the Previous Edition: "Superb … [Fortson′s] short general discussions of the histories and ecologies of the individual languages are the best I have ever read." ( Recensiones – Salesianum , 2008) "I would like to conclude by stressing that this is an excellent textbook. I have taught from it, and the students in my class not only learned a great deal from it, they also seemed to enjoy the book almost as much as I did." ( Bryn Mawr Classical Review ) "Finally, there is a reliable, engaging and accessible presentation of the communis opinio. And there are even exercises! … Fortson has produced an excellent book that fulfills its goals admirably. I hope it will inspire a renaissance of Indo–European linguistics in English speaking countries." ( Journal of the American Oriental Society )