Showing titles in Linguistics

Marco Balzano racconta la storia delle parole, dai Sumeri allo smartphone. Tra racconti, aneddoti e curiosità, ripercorriamo la storia più antica di tutte nei cambiamenti che hanno investito la società e la nostra comunicazione. Le parole: le pronunciamo, le ascoltiamo, le scriviamo e le leggiamo. Ma cosa sappiamo davvero di loro? Passando dalla pietra allo schermo, nel corso dei secoli, le parole sono state le armi dei potenti e il vessillo dei ribelli, hanno portato disgrazia e fortuna, nascosto segreti e rivelato verità, hanno avuto il potere di uccidere e di fare innamorare.

Bring history back to life through Jim Hodges' historically accurate, exciting, and edifying audio recordings. The conquest of the Aztec Empire by Hernando Cortez and a mere handful of Spaniards is one of the greatest romances of history. A writer of fiction would scarcely have dared to invent so improbable a story, but it is true. Fortunately Cortez was able to ally himself with many peoples conquered by the Aztecs who were all too happy to assist in their downfall.

Was that dear little lady Emily Benton guilty of murder, or was the written confession discovered by her tenant actually trumped up? This one will keep you guessing!

A comprehensive and thought-provoking investigation into one of the most polarizing words in the English language. Few words in the English language are as misunderstood as “like.” Indeed, excessive use of this word is a surefire way to make those who pride themselves on propriety, both...

"Philosophy is not a theory," asserted Austro-British philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889-1951), "but an activity." In this 1921 opus, his only philosophical work published during his lifetime, Wittgenstein defined the object of philosophy as the logical clarification of thoughts and proposed the solution to most philosophic problems by means of a critical method of linguistic analysis.

All they could hear was the wind, and the waves crashing on to the rocks. All they could see was the night. They could not see the ship, broken in two. They could not see the people holding on to the dark wet rock, slowly dying of cold. And they could not hear the cries for help - only the wind. How could they save the people on the rock? Was their wooden boat stronger than the iron ship?

Marco Balzano ispirandosi nel titolo al film di Nanni Moretti Palombella Rossa, si interroga sul perché l'etimologia sia una scienza che non riceve la considerazione che merita nonostante eserciti, in chi ci si avvicina, un forte fascino. Attraverso quelli che a tutti gli effetti potremmo definire dieci scavi etimologici, ci dice che ogni parola ha un corpo da rispettare che non può essere stravolto a nostro piacimento. Perché ogni parola ha una sua identità e una sua vita autonoma.

In Highly Irregular, Arika Okrent tells the story of the many influences - from invading French armies to stubborn Flemish printers - that made our language the way it is today. Both an entertaining send-up of linguistic oddities and a deeply researched history of English, Highly Irregular is essential for anyone who has paused to wonder about our marvelous mess of a language.

There are no direct records of the original Indo-European speech. By comparing the vocabularies of its various descendants, however, it is possible to reconstruct the basic Indo-European roots with considerable confidence. In The Origins of English Words, Shipley catalogues these proposed roots and follows the often devious, always fascinating, process by which some of their offshoots have grown.

Abandona la frustración de traducir mentalmente y domina el japonés conversacional con este curso auditivo inmersivo. Ideal para aprovechar tu trayecto diario o mientras preparas tu próximo viaje, este método dinámico entrena tu oído para captar el ritmo natural del idioma. Transforma la...

Monsieur Jourdain est un commerçant qui a fait fortune dans les perruques. Il décide de vivre "en homme de qualité"' et ouvre sa maison aux arts et aux lettres... Cette comédie-ballet consacre l'image d'Epinal de l'arriviste, dont Molière moque allègrement la fatuité et l'ignorance. Le titre donné à la pièce est révélateur. Il nous apprend que pour Molière le sujet de l'œuvre, c'est M. Jourdain et sa propension vaniteuse à gagner une classe sociale qui n'est pas la sienne.

A BBC Radio 4 dramatic adaptation of Keats' sensual narrative poem ‘Lamia’, about the ill-starred love affair of the serpent Lamia, and the innocent mortal Lycius. Featuring original music by John Harle, and singer Sarah Leonard. With Paterson Joseph as the Narrator, Charlotte Emmerson as...

The survivors of the shipwrecked 18th century vessel Glen Carrig fight for their lives amidst a vast continent of weeds. Mysterious wrecks, horrific monsters, and swashbuckling adventure!

Alain de Botton believes that philosophy can help people enjoy happier lives. And in his numerous best sellers, from Status Anxiety to The Art of Travel, his unique blend of erudition and self-help has reached an audience eager to listen. In On Seeing and Noticing, Alain de Botton takes everyday concerns such as expressing sadness or being romantic and dispenses advice and observations based on the works of some of history's greatest writers, artists and thinkers.

Laches, a general in the Athenian army, saw Socrates fight bravely in the battle of Delium. When he and Nicias, another general, are asked to explain the idea of courage, they are at a loss, and words fail them. How does courage differ from thoughtless and reckless audacity? Can a lion be said to be courageous? What about small children who have little idea of the dangers they face? Should we call people courageous who do not know whether their bravery will produce good or bad consequences?

Charles Dickens' classic novel of mystery, read by Alex Jennings. A body is found in the River Thames and is identified as John Harmon. He was due to inherit a great fortune on the condition that he marry a young woman called Bella Wilfer. And so the story begins and unravels and we are...

George Gissing’s 1893 gripping novel The Odd Women explores themes like the role of women in society, marriage, morals, and the nascent feminist movement. Set in London, Gissing's women range from the independent free-thinker Rhoda Nunn and the idealistic Mary Barfoot to the Madden sisters who struggle to make a living. The characters make their choices - some traditional and some bravely non-traditional, in two main plot lines. A remarkable late Victorian narrative, The Odd Women chronicles the shifting roles of women in a changing society in a most arresting way.

This abridged performance of the last of Shakespeare's plays founded on English history was recorded in 1952. Henry VIII was first published in the 1623 folio edition of Shakespeare's plays. This performance stars Dame Sybil Thorndike, Sir Lewis Casson & Ralph Truman (as King Henry VIII).

This is the handwritten book that Carroll wrote for private use before being urged to develop it later into Alice in Wonderland. It was meant to entertain his family and friends. When a sick child in a hospital enjoyed it so much, the mother wrote him saying it had distracted her for a bit from her pain and led eventually to Carroll expanding the story.

This is the first volume of The Travels and Surprising Adventures of Baron Munchausen by Rudolf Erich Raspe. The Baron relates his fantastical experiences and exploits, telling of the many singular incidents such as climbing to the moon on a beanstalk, riding on a cannon ball, being swallowed by a fish and being rescued from its insides, flying on an eagle from Margate to America, and many other incredible adventures, and challenges anyone who doubts him, asserting he is "a traveler of veracity!"