Author(s): various

Writing, Language & Reference

Speak: A Short History of Languages is a history of human speech from prehistory to the present. It charts the rise of some languages and the fall of others, explaining why some survive and others die. It shows how languages change their meaning, shape, and sounds, and how the history of languages is intimately linked to the history of peoples. Written in a lively, readable style, it makes no assumptions about previous knowledge.

• The first history of languages for a hundred years


• Concise but comprehensive


• Incisive account of controversial issues of language origins and evolution


• Links the history of languages to the history of peoples


• Utterly non-technical, readable, lively presentation