Why Languages Are So Different

Vladimir Plungyan, a well-known linguist and a corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, deals with contemporary linguistics in his book. How many languages are there on Earth and what are their structures? How do they change and what are the rules? Why are some of them related and others not? What makes Russian different from English and other languages, and how is Chinese different from Japanese? Why do verbs need inclination and aspect, and why do nouns need cases? Everyone who realizes the importance of language for the development of mankind will find answers to these questions interesting.

Moscow: AST Press, 2011