The third edition of The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Linguistics is an authoritative and invaluable reference source covering every aspect of its wide-ranging field. In 3,250 entries the Dictionary spans grammar, phonetics, semantics, languages (spoken and written), dialects, and sociolinguistics. Clear examples - and diagrams where appropriate - help to convey the meanings of even the most technical terms. It also incorporates entries on keyscholars of linguistics, both ancient and modern, summarising their specialisms and achievements.With existing entries thoroughly revised and updated, and the addition of 100 new entries, this new edition expands its coverage of semantics, as well as recently emerging terminology within, for example, syntactic theory and sociolinguistics.Wide-ranging and with clear definitions, it is the ideal reference for students and teachers in language-related courses, and a great introduction to linguistics for the general reader with an interest in language and its study.