Books about Pharies from Amazon.com

The University of Chicago Spanish Dictionary is the most popular dictionary of its kind. Its familiar name is known to millions of general readers, students, educators, and travelers. Improved for greater ease of use, and brought completely up to date, the fifth edition of The University of Chicago Spanish Dictionary is now more than ever the perfect resource for both language learners and experienced language users.

With thousands of added entries, the Dictionary builds on the features that have made it the leader in its field for more than fifty years: authority, scope, clarity, and conciseness. And with this edition, the Dictionary brilliantly captures the current core vocabularies of two rapidly changing—and increasingly connected—languages and cultures.

Entirely bilingual, the fifth edition focuses on two contemporary international languages—American English and a basic, worldwide Spanish that draws from both Latin American and Iberian sources.

Designed for a wide range of users, including travelers, businesspeople, students, teachers, and professionals, the new Dictionary is the essential first resource for speakers of both languages—from beginners to those at all other stages. Up to date, just comprehensive enough, and extraordinarily clear and easy to use, the new edition of The University of Chicago Spanish Dictionary stands alone. No other dictionary offers so many users so much help—or so much value.

Spanish is the fourth most widely spoken language in the world and a language of ever-increasing importance in the United States. In what will likely become the introduction to the history of the Spanish language, David Pharies clearly and concisely charts the evolution of Spanish from its Indo-European roots to its present form. An internationally recognized expert on the history and development of this language, Pharies brings to his subject a precise sense of what students of Spanish linguistics need to know.

After introductory chapters on what it means to study the history of a language, the concept of linguistic change, and the nature of language families, Pharies traces the development of Spanish from its Latin roots, all with the minimum amount of technical language possible.  In the core sections of the book, readers are treated to an engaging and remarkably succinct presentation of the genealogy and development of the language, including accounts of the structures and peculiarities of Latin, the historical and cultural events that deeply influenced the shaping of the language, the nature of Medieval Spanish, the language myths that have become attached to Spanish, and the development of the language beyond the Iberian Peninsula, especially in the Americas. Focusing on the most important facets of the language’s evolution, this compact work makes the history of Spanish accessible to anyone with a knowledge of Spanish and a readiness to grasp basic linguistic concepts.

Available in both English and Spanish editions, A Brief History of the Spanish Language provides a truly outstanding introduction to the exciting story of one of the world’s great languages.