Describing Morphosyntax : A Guide for Field Linguists

Rating:
Summary: A Good Starter Book
Review: Although subtitled as a field guide for linguists, I have been using this book as a guide for studying linguistics. It is well set out, full of examples (usually in non indo-european languages) and with cogent English desciptions. A good bibliography, which is frequently referred to, gives further more in depth reading if more understanding is required.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent research guide
Review: Anyone interested in the world's lesser-researched languages will want to use this "guide for field linguists." The author provides a well-researched approach to common and not-so-common features of morphology and syntax. Practical, clear questions at strategic points provide an outline that could be used to produce a good descriptive grammar of most any language. The examples are a marvelous cross-section of linguistic tid-bits from around the world.

The helpful index of languages and index of subjects concludes the 400-page volume.

I recommend this book to students and faculty alike.