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The University of Massachusetts Amherst

Anthropology

Guide for Library Research in Anthropology

Language Revival & Cultural Politics

This page leads to library resources helpful for research in language, sociolinguistics, and anthropology. Below are:

  • some of the most relevant databases of scholarly journal articles (usually the best sources for research papers)
  • electronic and print reference sources useful for background information on your research topic
  • circulating books
  • websites

To the left, my contact information. Please let me know if I can help further with your research.

Databases for scholarly journal articles

If full-text isn't provided, click the red UMLinks button in the citation to check for other options.

Encyclopedias and Dictionaries online

Reference Books

These are located by call number in the Reference collection, west side of the Lower Level of W.E.B. Du Bois Library.Companion Encyclopedia of Anthropology: Humanity, Culture and Social Life Ref. GN 25 .C65 1994

  • The Dictionary of Anthropology Ref. GN 307 .D485 199
  • Dictionary of Languages. Ref. P 29 .D35 1998.
  • Short descriptions of more than 400 major languages.
  • The Encyclopedia of Language and Linguistics. 10 volumes. 1994. Ref. P 29 .E48 1994.
  • References to articles that relate specifically to linguistics from an anthropological view can be found in the index in volume 10 under "Anthropology and Language."
  • An Encyclopedic Dictionary of Language and Languages. Ref. P 29 .C68 1992.
    • International Encyclopedia of Linguistics. 4 volumes. Ref. P 29 .I58 1992.

    • Ethnologue 12th ed. Ref. P371 .E83 and Ethnologue Index. 1992. Ref. P 371 .E832. Listing of all languages of the world. The basic volume is arranged by continent and then country. The index gives all identified variant names. Brief information on each language. Current edition on the Internet here

    Writing Tools

    Books

    In the  Library Catalog, try a "Subject begins with..." search for any of the phrases below.

    Also try "Subject keyword" searches for specific languages, eg. "gaelic language"

    Books in Du Bois Library are located according to this chart. If not available at UMass, books from Amherst, Hampshire, Mt. Holyoke and Smith College libraries can be requested using the Request Item link in the upper right corner of the book record.

      Language attrition
      Language maintenance
      Language obsolescence
      Language policy
      Language revival
      Sociolinguistics