Relying primarily on a functional-typological methodology, in which structural considerations of the traditional type are combined in a complementary and balanced way with functional and typological principles, the book approaches historical Latin syntax from a nontraditional perspective, investigating diachronic phenomena primarily from their discourse function as revealed in Latin texts. Key features first publication to investigate the long-term syntactic history of Latin second part of a multi-volume set generally accessible to linguists and non-Linguists theoretically coherent, formulated in functional-typological terms does not require reading fluency in Latin, since all examples are translated into English

Reading Latin, first published in 1986, is a bestselling Latin course designed to help mature beginners read classical Latin fluently and intelligently. It does this by combining the understanding of continuous texts with rigorous teaching of grammar; it provides exercises designed to develop the skills of accurate translation; and it integrates the learning of classical Latin with an appreciation of the influence of the Latin language upon English and European culture from antiquity to the present. The Independent Study Guide is intended to help students who are learning Latin on their own or with only limited access to a teacher. It contains notes on the texts that appear in the Text and Vocabulary volume, translations of all the texts, and answers to the exercises in the Grammar and Exercises volume. The book will also be useful to students in schools, universities and summer schools who have to learn Latin rapidly.

This volume is the product of a Columbia School Linguistics Conference held at Rutgers University in October 1999, where the plenary speaker was Ronald W. Langacker, a founder of Cognitive Linguistics. The goal of the book is to promote two kinds of dialogue. First, dialogue between Cognitive Grammar and the particular sign-based approach to language known as the Columbia School. While they share certain basic assumptions, the “maximalist” CG and the “minimalist” CS differ both theoretically and methodologically. Given that philosophers from Mill to Kuhn to Feyerabend have stressed the importance to any discipline of dialogue between opposing views, the dialogue begun here cannot fail to bear fruit. The second kind of dialogue is that among several sign-based approaches themselves and also between them and two competitors: grammaticalization theory and generic functionalism. Topics range from phonology to discourse. Analytical problems are taken from a wide range of languages including English, German, Guarani, Hebrew, Hualapai, Japanese, Korean, Macedonian, Mandarin, Polish, Russian, Serbian, Spanish, Urdu, and Yaqui.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1881.

With contributions by R. Amacker, C. Bodelot, P. Carvalho, W. Dressler, G. Haverlin, R. Maltby