The 'Encyclopedia of Chinese language and linguistics' offers a systematic and comprehensive overview of the languages of China and the different ways in which they are and have been studied. It provides authoritative treatment of all important aspects of the languages spoken in China, today and in the past, from many different angles, as well as the different linguistic traditions in which they have been investigated. In more than 450 articles, written by major specialists in the field, the Encyclopedia offers a synthesis of the most important research in Chinese linguistics and up-to-date bibliographical coverage. As such it is the prime reference source for information on: the lexicon, syntax, and sound structure of the Sinitic and non-Sinitic languages of China, including sign languages; the history of languages in China and their situation today; the history of Chinese linguistics, both indigenous and Western traditions; the sociolinguistic situation, language contact, and language variation; psycho- and neurolinguistic studies on Chinese, including first language acquisition; and many other aspects of Chinese and Chinese linguistics (e.g., Chinese in the diaspora, Chinese loanwords in other languages, history of lexicography, language pedagogy, etc.).

The Encyclopedia of Chinese Language and Linguistics is the new reference work on all aspects of the languages of China and China s linguistic traditions, written and edited by the foremost scholars in the field."

The Routledge Encyclopedia of the Chinese Language is an invaluable resource for language learners and linguists of Chinese worldwide, those interested readers of Chinese literature and cultures, and scholars in Chinese studies. Featuring the research on the changing landscape of the Chinese language by a number of eminent academics in the field, this volume will meet the academic, linguistic and pedagogical needs of anyone interested in the Chinese language: from Sinologists to Chinese linguists, as well as teachers and learners of Chinese as a second language. The encyclopedia explores a range of topics: from research on oracle bone and bronze inscriptions, to Chinese language acquisition, to the language of the mass media. This reference offers a guide to shifts over time in thinking about the Chinese language as well as providing an overview of contemporary themes, debates and research interests. The editors and contributors are assisted by an editorial board comprised of the best and most experienced sinologists world-wide. The reference includes an introduction, written by the editor, which places the assembled texts in their historical and intellectual context. The Encyclopedia of the Chinese Language is destined to be valued by scholars and students as a vital research resource.

The 'Encyclopedia of Chinese language and linguistics' offers a systematic and comprehensive overview of the languages of China and the different ways in which they are and have been studied. It provides authoritative treatment of all important aspects of the languages spoken in China, today and in the past, from many different angles, as well as the different linguistic traditions in which they have been investigated. In more than 450 articles, written by major specialists in the field, the Encyclopedia offers a synthesis of the most important research in Chinese linguistics and up-to-date bibliographical coverage. As such it is the prime reference source for information on: the lexicon, syntax, and sound structure of the Sinitic and non-Sinitic languages of China, including sign languages; the history of languages in China and their situation today; the history of Chinese linguistics, both indigenous and Western traditions; the sociolinguistic situation, language contact, and language variation; psycho- and neurolinguistic studies on Chinese, including first language acquisition; and many other aspects of Chinese and Chinese linguistics (e.g., Chinese in the diaspora, Chinese loanwords in other languages, history of lexicography, language pedagogy, etc.).

The major aim of the book is to trace the current structuring of the Chinese language(s) on the ground of Chinese linguistics. The research presented is based on the newest and most renowned sources, namely The Great Dictionary of Modern Chinese Dialects, and the Language Atlas of China. The author discusses the role The Great Dictionary plays in analyzing the spectrum of linguistic differentiation in China and gives a detailed account of the kind of information the dictionary provides. As background, she sketches the development and current state of Chinese dialectology and dialect research. One of the author's aims is to show respect for the grand achievement the Dictionary undoubtedly is, but also to emphasize a critical distance to some of the views presented in it. Apart from being an analysis of this particular Dictionary, the book presents data about the state of modern Chinese dialectology. It provides information about different classifications of the dialects and explains on what basis the classifications are made. Looking at Chinese dialectology from a Western point of view, the author aims to understand and present the Chinese perspective. The book fills an important gap in the field of Western sinology. So far, despite lively discussions concerning the status of the varieties of Chinese and their taxonomy, full-scale studies on Chinese dialects have been almost non-existent in the Western World.

The 'Encyclopedia of Chinese language and linguistics' offers a systematic and comprehensive overview of the languages of China and the different ways in which they are and have been studied. It provides authoritative treatment of all important aspects of the languages spoken in China, today and in the past, from many different angles, as well as the different linguistic traditions in which they have been investigated. In more than 450 articles, written by major specialists in the field, the Encyclopedia offers a synthesis of the most important research in Chinese linguistics and up-to-date bibliographical coverage. As such it is the prime reference source for information on: the lexicon, syntax, and sound structure of the Sinitic and non-Sinitic languages of China, including sign languages; the history of languages in China and their situation today; the history of Chinese linguistics, both indigenous and Western traditions; the sociolinguistic situation, language contact, and language variation; psycho- and neurolinguistic studies on Chinese, including first language acquisition; and many other aspects of Chinese and Chinese linguistics (e.g., Chinese in the diaspora, Chinese loanwords in other languages, history of lexicography, language pedagogy, etc.).

This open access book presents a new translation, interpretation and analysis of selected passages from the so-called Mohist Canon, a Chinese text from ca. 300 BCE, and discusses the role of the text in the world history of science, arguing that it represents an early emergence of theoretical, systematized knowledge that is independent from parallel developments in ancient Greece. It is aimed at historians of science, of knowledge and of philosophy, and generally at readers interested in these topics from an intercultural perspective and particularly with respect to China.