reference george l . campbell , concise compendium of the world ' s languages now available in paperback , the concise compendium of the world 's languages provides clear snapshots of over one hundred languages . drawn from the more comprehensive two volume compendium of the world 's languages , the articles selected for this volume discuss most languages spoken today by populations of at least five to ten million people , as well as minor languages that figure prominently in the contemporary socio-political context . this combination allows little-known languages , such as akan , navajo , basque and zulu , to figure prominently alongside the mainstream languages such as arabic , french , chinese and russian . each entry considers the phonological , morphological and lexical features of the language it discusses . written for language buffs who want to know-in broad outline-how lots of languages work , this terrific book compiles loads of information in one affordable volume . routledge : 1998 : 680 pp pb : 0 415 16049 9 : # d4087 : $ 32 . 99 r . r . k . hartmann and gregory james , dictionary of lexicography despite the frequency with which dictionaries are unquestioningly consulted , many have little idea what actually goes into producing them or how meanings are definitively ascertained . this up-to - date reference work provides straightforward and forward-looking listings of lexicographical terms . routledge : 1998 : 192 pp cl : 0 415 14143 5 : # d5118 : $ 75 . 00 for more information on these and other titles from : routledge london * new york in north america : www . routledge-ny . com elsewhere : www . routledge . com