In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

BOOK NOTICES 899 berg: C. Winter, Universitätsverlag, 1994-1996. Pp. 240. With the publication of these four fascicles, Mayrhofer is now approaching the completion of a task started nearly 50 years ago when he began his first dictionary of Old Indie, Kurzgefasstes etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindischen (KEWA), published between 1956 and 1982; the present dictionary (EWA) was begun almost immediately afterward, the first fascicles appearing in 1986. Together, these two multivolume dictionaries represent the work not only of a pre-eminent Sanskritist, Indo-Europeanist, and etymologist but also a masterly synthesis of the work of several generations of workers in the field. As such, the two dictionaries have been and remain an enormously valuable resource not only for specialists but also for linguists in general with an interest in these fields, for each ofwhich they stand prominently as a standard. As observed already by Murray Emeneau in his 'book notice' of the first fascicles of this dictionary (Language 67.411-2) M has divided this new lexicon into two sections, one for the older language and a second for the later language. The four fascicles presently under consideration continue M's treatment of the older language, fascicle 16 starting with the entry for 'yama-2, 'Name einer mythischen Urmenschen -Gestalt', and fascicle 19 concluding with the entry for sä- (say-), 'binden, festbinden, fesseln.' Thus M is nearing completion of the first section of EWA, which has been devoted to the older language. All of us who are indebted to M for all of the work which he has accomplished to date look forward to the successful completion of the second section as well. The change in the organization of his dictionary has allowed M to examine each entry in somewhat greater detail. This is evident from the increased length of the individual entries (which no longer provide English glosses). M's style has become increasingly compressed and telegraphic, making EWA often rather difficult reading, especially for those who do not use it on a regular basis. M has resorted to abbreviations not only for the primary sources but also for references to the secondary literature, which are constantly being added fascicle by fascicle. As a result, it is often a time-consuming task to track down a given reference and to decipher the complete argument of a given entry. Emeneau has already pointed out the most significant ways in which this new dictionary differs from the earlier one. Besides the new organization of the material into two sections, more attention is given to the evaluation of competing etymologies; consideration is given to the laryngeal theory (conspicuously, and controversially, absent from KEWA), and of course newer secondary literature has been thoroughly cited and evaluated. In his 'Vorbemerkungen' (EWA I, fase. 1), M insists that this new dictionary 'ist keine Neuauflage des KEWA' (1). That is certainly true. But on the other hand it is not quite correct to say that EWA can stand alone as an independent work. From beginning to end, we are frequently advised to consult KEWA for older literature not cited in EWA, and many entries leave out significant text references that can be found only in KEWA. M certainly should not be criticized for this sort of extreme brevity. Given that he is attempting, and about to complete, a truly monumental task, his desire to avoid unnecessary repetition is perfectly reasonable. But under present circumstances, students of Old Indo-Aryan are obliged to invest in two large and very expensive dictionaries. [George Thompson, Montserrat College ofArt.] Linguistics: An introduction. By Donna J. Napoli. New York & Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1996. Pp. ix, 580. Paper $29.95. Over five hundred pages of introductory text can intimidate even the most enthusiastic student, and I doubt if even a hyperactive graduate student could finish this entire book in a year, let alone in a single semester, a fact also noted by the author in her preface . This is not a text for the faint in heart, but it is a wonderful book all the same, offering fresh and stimulating examples coupled with intellectually challenging concepts and problems, all presented in an engaging and appealing style. The book tackles...

pdf

Share