This second edition of George Campbell's astounding survey of world languages has been thoroughly updated, revised, and expanded. It presents a comprehensive cross-section of languages, ranging from the familiar and well-documented to the relatively obscure. Fifteen completely new entries on exotic languages such as Comanche, Shona, and Wotapuri have been added to the more than 300 descriptions of the many forms taken by human speech worldwide. Also included are numerous articles on non-Roman scripts, not featured in the first edition. Dead languages associated with the great cultures of the past--Classical Chinese, Sanskrit, Classical Greek, and Latin--are featured, as well as intriguing isolates like Etruscan and Tangut.