Introduction to General Linguistics

The aim of this textbook is to provide a general overview of both universal and unique linguistic phenomena and to highlight the criteria according to which language can be studied scientifi cally. The textbook consists of 9 chapters traditionally covered in “Fundamentals of Linguistics”, “Introduction to Linguistics” and “General Linguistics”. The textbook is based on a presentational principle: key linguistic concepts and terms are accompanied by concise defi nitions, classifi cations, and examples from various world languages. To facilitate comprehension, the textbook is supplemented with diagrams, tables, charts, and illustrations. Each section features a “Did You Know?” part, which provides additional information of a linguistic, historical, cultural, or general educational nature related to the section’s topic. This textbook is a follow-up to the author’s earlier book, “Fundamentals of Linguistics” (2019). The simplicity and relative brevity of the presentation make the material suitable both for self-study and for discussion in seminar sessions. Overall, the book is intended for Russian- speaking readers with the B2+/ C1 level of profi ciency. Apart from examples in Russian and in English, the book also provides examples from French, German, Turkish, Bulgarian, Romanian, Basque, Greek, Indonesian, Lithuanian, Welsh and others, and is meant to kindle an interest in both languages and the related cultures.