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Scholarly Grammars
Linguists often use scholarly "Grammars" to find descriptions of how specific languages function. There's no perfect way to find the library's entire collection of scholarly grammars, so you'll want to work with your professor and with Iris to identify a good one for your purposes. However, searching for your language name and "grammars" as a Subject will get you started. In the example search below, I've also narrowed it down to some of the key scholarly publishers.
- Finding Scholarly Grammars in Catalyst: Try changing the Language listed in this search to find linguistic descriptions of your chosen languageFinding good reference grammars and other sources that describe the linguistic structures of a particular language can be challenging. Carleton or St. Olaf not have what you need? Check WorldCat for interlibrary loan options.
- GlottologA comprehensive catalogue of the world's languages, language families and dialects, including references to source material for linguists. To find the grammars, first find a language and then limit the references to the "doctype" called "grammar."
- Oxford Handbooks This link opens in a new windowHigh quality treatments of major topics, written by major scholars in the field and pointing toward key literature.
African American English
The Oxford Handbook of African American Language by Call Number: ONLINEISBN: 9780199795390Publication Date: 2015-06-01Availability and more information from Catalyst...
African-American English by Call Number: ONLINEISBN: 9780203355596Availability and more information from Catalyst...
Here is an example Catalyst Subject search to try
Topic-specific Resources
Linguistic Justice: Black Language, Literacy, Identity, and Pedagogy by Call Number: ONLINEISBN: 9781138551015Availability and more information from Catalyst...
A Segmental Phonology of Black English by Call Number: ONLINEISBN: 9783111356129Availability and more information from Catalyst...
Malik Goes to School by Call Number: ONLINEISBN: 9781410615602Availability and more information from Catalyst...
Noun Phrase Structure
EthnologueCall Number: REF P371 .E83Availability and more information from Catalyst...
Key source for finding how languages are related to other languages. Catalogs all known living languages. Online version includes links to language resources including primary data.
Crosslinguistic Studies on Noun Phrase Structure and Reference by ISBN: 9004261443Publication Date: 2013-01-01Availability and more information from Catalyst...
Here is an example Catalyst Subject search to try
Topic-specific resources
[Historical Latin Syntax] Complex Sentences, Grammaticalization, Typology by Call Number: ONLINEISBN: 1283430096Publication Date: 2011-01-01Availability and more information from Catalyst...
The Syntax of Spanish by Call Number: ONLINEISBN: 0511613237Publication Date: 2012-06-05Availability and more information from Catalyst...The Syntax of Contemporary French by
Call Number: Books PC2361 .H65 1994ISBN: 0819193801Publication Date: 1994-03-22Availability and more information from Catalyst...
The Structure of Modern Standard French by Call Number: ONLINEISBN: 0198723741Publication Date: 2016-05-24Availability and more information from Catalyst...
The Syntax of Chinese by Call Number: ONLINEISBN: 1282539167Publication Date: 2010-05-07Availability and more information from Catalyst...
Noun Phrase Morphology
World Atlas of Language StructuresCall Number: Ref P143 .W67 2005Availability and more information from Catalyst...
The Online version is easily browsable and searchable, and sources it's information thoroughly, leading you to important descriptions of specific languages and structures.
- GlottologA comprehensive catalogue of the world's languages, language families and dialects, including references to source material (grammars and more) for linguists.
Here is an example Catalyst Subject search to try
Topic-specific Resources
The Syntax of Arabic by Call Number: Books PJ6381 .A58 2010ISBN: 9780521650175Publication Date: 2009-12-03Availability and more information from Catalyst...
The Syntax of Russian by Call Number: ONLINEISBN: 1280776056Publication Date: 2012-06-22Availability and more information from Catalyst...
Papers of the Forty-Sixth Algonquian Conference by ISBN: 1611862507Publication Date: 2017-09-01Availability and more information from Catalyst...
Invent your own language
The Oxford Handbook of Linguistic Typology by Call Number: ONLINEISBN: 9780199281251Publication Date: 2010-11-19The section on "Empirical Dimensions of Linguistic Typology" has chapters on many of the ways that languages treat things like person, case, word order, and the like.- World Atlas of Language StructuresCall Number: Ref P143 .W67 2005Availability and more information from Catalyst...
The Online version is easily browsable and searchable, and sources it's information thoroughly, leading you to important descriptions of specific languages and structures. - EthnologueCall Number: REF P371 .E83Availability and more information from Catalyst...
Key source for finding how languages are related to other languages. Catalogs all known living languages. Online version includes links to language resources including primary data. 
The Oxford Handbook of Comparative Syntax by Call Number: ONLINEISBN: 0195136519Publication Date: 2008-07-01Availability and more information from Catalyst...
The Handbook of Morphology by Call Number: Books P241 .H36 1998ISBN: 0631185445Publication Date: 1991-01-16Availability and more information from Catalyst...
