Language: Communication and Human Behavior

A linguist at Columbia University, Diver (1921-95) developed the ideas that now serve as the foundation for the Columbia School of linguistics. Here are 18 of his essays, covering the elements of his linguistic thinking, Greek, Latin, phonology, linguistic theories, and the history of linguistics. Among the topics discussed are substance and value in linguistic analysis, the system of relevance of the Homeric verb, the subjunctive without syntax, the Latin demonstratives, the phonological motivation for Verner's Law and Grimm's Law, traditional grammar and its legacy in 20th-century linguistics, and how the study of language went wrong in the Western tradition. Annotation c2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

William Diver, Ph.D. (1953) in Linguistics, Columbia University, was Professor of Linguistics at Columbia University and the intellectual founder of the Columbia School of Linguistics. He was Professor Emeritus until his death in 1995.Alan Huffman, Ph.D. (1985) in Linguistics, Columbia University, is Professor of Linguistics and English in The City University of New York. He is the author of The Categories of Grammar: French lui and le (John Benjamins, 1997), and many articles on Columbia School linguistics.Joseph Davis, Ph.D. (1992) in Linguistics, Columbia University, is Associate Professor of Linguistics in the School of Education, The City College of New York. He was co-editor of Advances in Functional Linguistics: Columbia School Beyond its Origins (John Benjamins, 2006).