Comparative Grammar of Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and French


Book Description

Nowadays thousands of grammar books, textbooks, outlines, references and language guides of Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and French are published year by year. However, all of them teach these languages separately. Here you will find a comparative grammar of the four major Romance languages together based on their grammatical and lexical similarities for you, lovers of foreign languages, to learn and compare Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and French simultaneously. It is an audacious endeavor to find or create a novel way of learning to speak several languages and becoming a multilingual person. It took me over 3 years to finish the book. It consists of over 800 pages, 10 chapters covering all the grammatical aspects of these 4 languages. It includes over 1000 examples, 500 easy-to-follow charts and tables. It contains 138 geographical, historical and cultural facts about Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and French countries.Below I will discuss several reasons why I decided to write this book and why you need it.1) First of all, this book is written for readers like you who are fond of or would like to learn Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and French simultaneously or just to get an all-round knowledge of all these four Romance languages. It is designed not only for beginners who do not have an extensive knowledge of grammar, yet need a guide through the grammatical concepts of all mentioned above languages, but also intermediate and advanced students who would like to have a reference book ofseveral Romance languages at once.2) Second of all I spent many years learning these languages separately, which was a complete waste of time before I realized it. This book will hopefully save you a great deal of time and allow you to study and compare at a glance the four main Neo-Latin languages.3) Knowledge of foreign languages is fast becoming a necessary requirement for those who are involved in international business, tourism, culture and education. This book offers you four languages to learn, which will make you feel at homewherever you go, whether as a tourist or businessman.4) Learning several languages simultaneously or one by one will train and strengthen your memory and can help stave off such terrible diseases as Alzheimer's.5) If you have never studied several languages at once before and you like challenges, then you should definitely try it. Because it is a really entertaining and challenging task to do.In conclusion, I would like to sincerely thank you for preordering the book and your interest in it. I hope it will help youimprove your languages and become multilingual.




Elements of Comparative Grammar in Five Romance Languages


Book Description

There are several Romance language elements that overlap themselves, in a way that makes possible, to a certain extent and exclusively dependent on one's ability to focus, practice and express, a certain degree of mutual comprehension. In writing and reading inasmuch as in oral communication, overcome, of course, a series of linguistic obstacles such as dialectal variations, accents and vocabulary (which can eventually present a daunting drawback), the reader of this book should be armed with enough knowledge to tackle the distinctive problem of intercomprehension.




New Comparative Grammar of Greek and Latin


Book Description

Like Carl Darling Buck's Comparative Grammar of Greek and Latin (1933), this book is an explanation of the similarities and differences between Greek and Latin morphology and lexicon through an account of their prehistory. It also aims to discuss the principal features of Indo-European linguistics. Greek and Latin are studied as a pair for cultural reasons only; as languages, they have little in common apart from their Indo-European heritage. Thus the only way to treat the historical bases for their development is to begin with Proto-Indo-European. The only way to make a reconstructed language like Proto-Indo-European intelligible and intellectually defensible is to present at least some of the basis for reconstructing its features and, in the process, to discuss reasoning and methodology of reconstruction (including a weighing of alternative reconstructions). The result is a compendious handbook of Indo-European phonology and morphology, and a vade mecum of Indo-European linguistics--the focus always remaining on Greek and Latin. The non-classical sources for historical discussion are mainly Vedic Sanskrit, Hittite, and Germanic, with occasional but crucial contributions from Old Irish, Avestan, Baltic, and Slavic.




Comparative Grammar of Italian and French


Book Description

This new edition of Comparative Grammar of Italian and French is a complete reference guide to all the aspects of Italian and French. It is the ideal reference book for those who would like to learn and compare Italian and French simultaneously.It is designed not only for beginners who do not have an extensive knowledge of grammar, yet need a guide through the grammatical concepts of all mentioned above languages, but also intermediate and advanced students who would like to have a reference book of several Romance languages at once. Comparative Grammar of Italian and French can also be used for either independent study or for learners in classes of all types.It presents a clear and easy-to-read description of the Italian and French grammar with chapters divided into nouns, pronouns, verbs, prepositions, articles, etc. detailing how each of the two Romance languages operate. The book is well-organized, neatly tabulated, with separate subheadings for topics that require a little more language-specific discussion.This edition features: - Detailed contents section and index for easy access to information.- Hundreds of illustrative and authentic examples.- Coverage of all the grammatical aspects and useful expressions.- Sections on the geographical, historical and cultural facts of the Italian and French-speaking world. This book is written for learners who are particularly fond of or would like to concentrate on learning Italian and French or just to get an all-round knowledge of these two Romance languages.Furthermore, I have aimed to create a useful and must-have book for all those interested in the two main and most wide-spread Neo-Latin languages - Italian and French with concise and clear explanations of all grammatical areas and numerous practical examples taken from current Italian and French usage




The Grammar of Romance


Book Description

This original guide introduces you to the basic grammar of Vulgar Latin and the Romance languages. Compare related languages to understand how nouns, verbs, pronouns, adjectives, words, phrases and sentences work throughout this language family. Challenge yourself to see commonalities among a range of Romance languages and to understand their shared history from Vulgar Latin. View examples from major Romance languages like Portuguese, French and Romanian, as well as many regional languages like Catalan, Sardinian and Romansh.Clear formatting and a thorough index allow you to identify key terms and quickly cross-reference relevant sections for more information. Romance examples are printed in bold, translations in italics and key grammar terms tackled elsewhere in the book are underlined.Extra materials include comparative grammar tables with notes, a brief tour of Vulgar Latin grammar, a chapter on the pronunciation of Romance, helpful maps and a glossary of language names. Balanced explanations and examples, a thorough index and a clear table of contents make this the ideal reference guide for students and enthusiasts of the Romance languages, Vulgar Latin/Proto-Romance or Romance linguistics.




Modern Italian Grammar


Book Description

This new edition of the Modern Italian Grammar is an innovative reference guide to Italian, combining traditional and function-based grammar in a single volume. With a strong emphasis on contemporary usage, all grammar points and functions are richly illustrated with examples. Implementing feedback from users of the first edition, this text includes clearer explanations, as well as a greater emphasis on areas of particular difficulty for learners of Italian. Divided into two sections, the book covers: traditional grammatical categories such as word order, nouns, verbs and adjectives language functions and notions such as giving and seeking information, describing processes and results, and expressing likes, dislikes and preferences. This is the ideal reference grammar for learners of Italian at all levels, from beginner to advanced. No prior knowledge of grammatical terminology is needed and a glossary of grammatical terms is provided. This Grammar is complemented by the Modern Italian Grammar Workbook Second Edition which features related exercises and activities.




Comparative Grammar of Spanish and Portuguese


Book Description

This new edition of Comparative Grammar of Spanish and Portuguese is a complete reference guide to all the aspects of Spanish and Portuguese. It is the ideal reference book for those who would like to learn and compare Spanish and Portuguese simultaneously.It presents a clear and easy-to-read description of the Spanish and Portuguese grammar with chapters divided into nouns, pronouns, verbs, prepositions, articles, etc. detailing how each of the two Romance languages operate. The book is well-organized, neatly tabulated, with separate subheadings for topics that require a little more language-specific discussion.This edition features:- Coverage of Spanish and European and Brazilian Portuguese and the information on the grammatical differences between the two variants of Portuguese. - Detailed contents section and index for easy access to information.- Hundreds of illustrative and authentic examples.- Coverage of all the grammatical aspects and useful expressions- Sections on the geographical, historical and cultural facts of the Spanish and Portuguese-speaking world. This book is written for learners who are particularly fond of or would like to concentrate on learning Spanish and Portuguese or just to get an all-round knowledge of these two Romance languages.Furthermore, the author has aimed to create a useful and must-have book for all those interested in the two main and most wide-spread Neo-Latin languages - Spanish and Portuguese with concise and clear explanations of all grammatical areas and numerous practical examples taken from current Spanish and Portuguese usage.This book bears in mind all the differences between Peninsular or Castilian Spanish (español peninsular/castellano) spoken in Spain and Latin American Spanish (including different accents of Spanish in Latin America), and the divergencies between European Portuguese and Brazilian Portuguese.Part II of the book introduces language functions, which is basically a phrase book containing all the important phrases and expressions learners need to know to start and maintain a basic conversation or to express their opinion.




Modern Brazilian Portuguese Grammar Workbook


Book Description

Modern Brazilian Portuguese Grammar Workbook is an innovative book of exercises and language tasks for all learners of Brazilian Portuguese, ideal for use alongside the Modern Brazilian Portuguese Grammar or as an independent resource. The book is divided into two sections. Part A provides exercises based on essential grammatical structures whilst Part B practises everyday functions, including making social contact, asking questions and expressing needs. This third edition offers a greater variety of exercises, including exercises designed to practice concepts introduced in the "Notes for Spanish Speakers" sections of the Grammar. Exercises from the second edition have also been revised and expanded upon and a comprehensive answer key at the back of the book enables you to check on your progress. The Modern Brazilian Portuguese Grammar Workbook is ideal for all learners who have a basic knowledge of Brazilian Portuguese, including undergraduates taking Brazilian Portuguese as a major or minor part of their studies, as well as intermediate and advanced school, adult education and self-study students.




Learning French from Spanish and Spanish from French


Book Description

Learning French from Spanish and Spanish from French provides adult English speakers who have learned either Spanish or French as a second language with the tools to learn the other as a third language. Research in the growing fields of third-language acquisition and multilingualism documents how successful language learners intuitively build on their existing knowledge as they learn a new language. In this vein, Learning French from Spanish and Spanish from French takes advantage of the fact that learners with intermediate proficiency in a second language are used to thinking consciously about language, know themselves as language learners, and can capitalize on what they know about one language to understand the other. With chapters conveniently organized by grammatical concept and including supplementary resources such as exercises, parallel reading texts, and audio files, this book will benefit students, travelers, and budding multilinguals alike.




The Loom of Language


Book Description

Here is an informative introduction to language: its origins in the past, its growth through history, and its present use for communication between peoples. It is at the same time a history of language, a guide to foreign tongues, and a method for learning them. It shows, through basic vocabularies, family resemblances of languages -- Teutonic, Romance, Greek -- helpful tricks of translation, key combinations of roots and phonetic patterns. It presents by common-sense methods the most helpful approach to the mastery of many languages; it condenses vocabulary to a minimum of essential words; it simplifies grammar in an entirely new way; and it teaches a language as it is actually used in everyday life.