A distinguished international group of scholars analyze the concept of "word" and its applicability in a range of typologically diverse languages. The languages include Amazonian, Australian Aboriginal, Eskimo, Native North American, West African, Balkan, Caucasian and Indo-Pakistani Sign Language. They exhibit a great range of phonological, morphological and grammatical characteristics, enabling the contributors to refine the definition of a "word" against this broad linguistic landscape. The book is of interest to scholars of linguistic typology and of morphology.

Contributors:

R.M.W. Dixon, Alexandra Y. Aikhenvald, Anthony C. Woodbury, John Henderson, Ulrike Zeshan, Robert Rankin, John Boyle, Randolph Graczyk, John Koontz, Knut J. Olawksy, Alice C. Harris; Brian Joseph, P.H. Matthews