Anthropologists have always put language at the centre of their agenda. So too have linguists. Anthropological linguistics, the amalgam of the two disciplines, aims to document and examine how language mirrors social structure and cultural-specific thought patterns. Linguistic Anthropology: A Brief Introduction — the third edition of Marcel Danesi's popular text — provides a concrete method for studying the relation between language and society.

This book is ideal for introductory-level courses in linguistics that adopt a cultural focus and is also suitable for supplementary use in more theoretical linguistics courses. The new edition has been restructured and streamlined to make it a better fit for one-semester courses. Written in Danesi's accessible and engaging style, this book will also appeal to a broad audience of language students, scholars, and enthusiasts.

MARCEL DANESI teaches on the history of puzzles at Victoria College of the University of Toronto. Danesi has written puzzles for Reader’s Digest, The Toronto Star, and also maintains a blog on puzzles for Psychology Today. He has also published several best-selling puzzle books, such as The Total Brain Workout and The Complete Brain Workout.

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"In his characteristically lucid and clear writing style, Marcel Danesi explains and demystifies the science of linguistics. The logical organization of this textbook, replete with superb examples of every linguistic process and phenomenon presented, adds to its appeal for the student of anthropological linguistics. This extremely reader-friendly volume also has a very useful final glossary of key concepts and terms and a comprehensive bibliography of essential references in the field, all of which add to its functionality. This book is the best introduction to linguistic anthropology available today."— “Frank Nuessel, University of Louisville