OVERVIEWA comprehensive introduction to the study of language and linguistics, An Introduction to Language, Sixth Edition, covers all the major topics in linguistics: phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics as well as pragmatics, historical change, social and regional dialects, child language, writing, language processing, and the neurobiology of language. The comprehensive approach uses humor to enhance student interest in the diverse study of language from its origins to current areas of research and discovery.