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The LANGUAGE LOVER’S PUZZLE BOOK
My new book is a celebration of language, and languages, told through more than 100 puzzles.
What I love about puzzles is that they present a fun challenge while opening your eyes to something new. The puzzles in this book each reveal something curious about language, about culture or about science. You get to flex your brain, and you learn something new about the world.
I have puzzles about dozens of languages, from Abhkaz to Welsh. You will discover the beautiful alphabets of the Cherokee, the Inuit and the Javanese. You will recreate the decipherments of Egyptian hieroglyphics and Old Persian cuneiform. And you will learn how to count to 100 in Danish.
None of the puzzles require fluency in any language other than English, and I hope that they appeal to lovers of crosswords, Sudoku and other word and logic puzzles.
As well as the puzzles I include background about the birth of writing, the evolution of the alphabet, family relations, naming customs, numerical notation, AI and many other subjects.
PRAISE FOR THE LANGUAGE LOVER’S PUZZLE BOOK
Not just a puzzle collection, but an introduction to the science of distilling regularities from the weird ways in which languages behave…Many beginners, after the buzz of Mr Bellos’s puzzles, may also fall in love with the joys of [linguistics]. The Economist
An irresistible linguistic workout - challenging and deeply satisfying. Gaston Dorren, author of Lingo and Babel
A cornucopia of ingenious and insightful challenges, each with a bonus commentary about the fascinating diversity of the world's languages, all presented in a friendly and engaging style. The title is exactly right. It's the perfect companion for anyone who loves puzzles and languages. David Crystal
If you love a puzzle – and you love language – you’ll love what Alex Bellos has done here. Gyles Brandreth
Language is a puzzle, so this compendium of language puzzles is a great idea; and the great thing about puzzles is they give us problems that we didn’t even know were problems. Michael Rosen
LINGUISTICS OLYMPIADS
The puzzles in The Language Lover’s Puzzle Book are mostly adapted from linguistics olympiads. To find out more about the UK Linguistics Olympiad click here.
A PARTIAL LIST OF THE LANGUAGES INCLUDED
Armenian, Babylonian, Breton, Burmese, Chalcatongo Mixtec, Chinese, Dothraki, Dutch, Esperanto, Faroese, German, Georgian, Hawaiian, Hindi, Italian, Kwak’wala, Latin, Limburgish, Maltese, Manx, Maori, Navajo, Nuku Hiva, Oscan, Quechua, Sami, Samoan, Sumerian, Swahili, Tajik, Tok Pisin, Toki Pona, Twi, Warlpiri.
And not forgetting: Blazon, Blissymbolics, Braille, Old Norse runes, Lovers’ Communication System, N’ko, Ogham, Pig Latin, Stenography, Transcendental Algebra and Visible Speech.