International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences
To find scholarly articles on linguistics topics, start by searching or browsing the extensive coverage in the
International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences online.
Articles are thoroughly documented and frequently updated.
Linguistics Reference Sources
- Oxford Research Encyclopedias: LinguisticsOnline only. New and revised articles added monthly.
"The ORE of Linguistics will be the focal point of OUP’s electronic reference resources in linguistics, with seamless links to the Oxford Bibliographies in Linguistics and the Oxford Handbooks Online." Letter from the Editor - Oxford Bibliographies OnlineCurated, annotated subject lists of major monographs, journals, and other resources on various topics within the field of linguistics.
New articles are added regularly. - Oxford ReferenceBest reference database for definitions of terminology or background articles from the perspective of various disciplines.
Additional Encyclopedias and Dictionaries for Language/Linguistics:
- The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Writing SystemsWiley Online Books, 1996.
Print version: Olin Library Reference Z 40 .C67x 1995.
"The principal purpose of this encyclopedia is to provide basic concise information on the writing systems, scripts and orthographies of the world's major languages" (Preface).
Useful for overviews of every imaginable script from Cherokee to Maldivian (not to be confused with Old Maldivian) and such oddities as the finger alphabet and quipu. - The Cambridge Encyclopedia of LanguagePrint only. (Olin Library Reference P 29 .C64 2010 +)
This illustrated one-volume encyclopedia presents the major themes in language study. A glossary and index provide excellent access to the many articles. Excellent maps, plates, photographs and charts. A bibliography is appended. - The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the Language SciencesProQuest, 2010.
Online eBook only.
Provides an accessible reference source for all major aspects of speech and language. - A Dictionary of Linguistics and Phonetics6th edition. 2008.
A tool aimed to assist graduate and undergraduate students encountering the terminology of linguistics and phonetics. Written in technical language using extensive cross-references. No bibliography or reading list. - A Dictionary of Phonetics and PhonologyPrint only. (Olin Library Reference P 216 .T73x 1996)
A comprehensive yet concise guide to an enormous number of individual terms and an explanation of the most important theoretical approaches to phonology. [from the cover] - Encyclopedia of Applied LinguisticsOnline only.
New and updated articles added twice yearly.
Combines individual entries ranging from 1,500 to 4,000 words, with longer, essay-style contributions giving a detailed overview of key developments and ideas. Covers 31 key areas of the field, including Language teaching and learning, Bilingual education, Language policy and planning, Assessment and evaluation, Corpus linguistics, Discourse and conversation analysis, the neurobiology of language, Literacy, and technology and language. - Encyclopedia of Indo-European CultureCall Number: Olin Library Reference CB 201 .E53x 1997 +; second copy in Olin Library Graduate Study Room 501Fitzroy Dearborn, 1997
Print only.
Over 700 entries provide inclusive coverage of the major Indo-European language stocks and their origins, and the conceptual range of the reconstructed Proto-Indo-European language. The encyclopedia also offers entries on selected archaeological cultures having some relationship to the origin and dispersal of Indo-European groups, and on some of the major issues of Indo-European cultural studies. - Encyclopedia of Language and Linguistics2nd edition. 2006.
An online, updated edition of R. E. Asher's comprehensive encyclopedia in linguistics and related subject areas, published in 1994 (print copy in Olin Reference P 29 .E56 +). Broad in scope, so that interdisciplinary aspects of linguistics and language studies are covered as well as various areas of linguistics. Global communication and writing systems are included, as well as extensive biographies/bibliographies of linguists. Signed articles include authoritative bibliographies. - Encyclopedia of LinguisticsFitzroy Dearborn, 2005.
Online access through ProQuest Ebook Central.
Print version: Olin Library Reference P 29 .E483 2005.
Utilizing a historical and international approach, this valuable two-volume resource makes even the more complex linguistic issues understandable for the non-specialized reader. Containing over 500 alphabetically arranged entries and an expansive glossary by a team of international scholars, the Encyclopedia of Linguistics explores the varied perspectives, figures, and methodologies that make up the field.
- The International Encyclopedia of Linguistic AnthropologyWiley/Blackwell, 2020.
Online only.
"...offers authoritative coverage on the leading figures and major events in the development of linguistic anthropology, the theoretical frameworks behind contemporary practice, the methodologies and technologies of modern fieldwork, and the leading developments in new research." --About this reference work
- The International Encyclopedia of Language and Social InteractionWiley/Blackwell, 2015.
Online only.
A multi-disciplinary subject encyclopedia with crossover coverage of linguistics and discourse studies, and with psychology, sociology and business. Published as a regularly-updated online edition. - International Encyclopedia of Linguistics2nd edition.
Oxford University Press, 2003.
Print version: Olin Library Reference P 29 .I61 2003.
Articles by some 400 scholarly linguists describe concisely many linguistic sub-specialties and concepts. A useful feature is the large number of articles on specific languages or language families, from Akkadian to Zapotec. (Zulu is treated under African languages.) Articles are arranged alphabetically, but appendixes group subjects into topic areas and languages into families. A glossary defines terms; cross references and an index direct the reader to the right article. Numerous bibliographies and some excellent illustrations are provided. As the preface indicates, the work is intended for experts, and some articles are quite technical.... [Library Journal review] - The Linguistics Encyclopedia2nd edition.
Routledge, 2002.
Print only. (Olin Library Reference P 29 .L52 2002)
Entries are alphabetically arranged, extensively cross-referenced, and include suggestions for further reading. They cover over 150 major and subsidiary fields of linguistic study. Key terms and topics are defined and discussed in context, emphasized in bold type.
- Oxford Encyclopedia of MorphologyOxford UP, 2021.
Online only.
"...offers a sweeping introduction to the field, showing that morphology is not only an active area of study in its own right, but also a critical link between different subfields of linguistics." [Description in Oxford Reference]
Online Handbooks
- Oxford Handbooks Online (OHO)New York: Oxford University Press.
Scholarly research reviews in article format from the extensive collection of Oxford Handbooks covering linguistics.
Click on Subject at the top left on the Oxford Handbooks home page, then click Arts and Humanities, then Linguistics.
Example: Oxford Handbook of Japanese Linguistics.
Current Trends/Literature Reviews
- Annual Review of Linguistics"The Annual Review of Linguistics, in publication since 2015, covers significant developments in the field of linguistics, including phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics, and their interfaces. Reviews synthesize advances in linguistic theory, sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics, neurolinguistics, language change, biology and evolution of language, typology, as well as applications of linguistics in many domains." [Publisher]