First published in 1891, this book was the earliest attempt to construct a systematic classification of all the indigenous languages of the Americas, focusing particularly on the relationship between culture and grammar and vocabulary. It addresses the various theories of the origins of the American race, and the archaeological evidence for the presence of humans in the Americas. It discusses geologists' opinions and the physical geography of the Americas in relation to Europe, and considers the physical characteristics of the Native Americans, their culture, religion, domestic habits and family organisation, providing a comprehensive anthropological and historical context for the linguistic work. Special attention is paid to the parts of the continent, mostly south of Mexico, whose ethnography was little known at the time of writing. Each chapter covers a particular region, and there is a detailed linguistic appendix.
- ISBN10 1151734411
- ISBN13 9781151734419
- Publish Date 29 December 2009 (first published 1 November 1989)
- Publish Status Unknown
- Out of Print 17 November 2016
- Publish Country US
- Imprint General Books
- Format Paperback (US Trade)
- Pages 190
- Language English