Just released: Morphologies of Asia and Africa

The two-volume set, “Morphologies of Asia and Africa“, edited by late Alan S. Kaye, has just ben released by Eisenbrauns. Here is a description of the book which was published on Linguist List Issue 18.2543:

This comprehensive collection of essays covers both the Afroasiatic languages of the Middle East and North Africa as well as other languages that are found in this geographic region. Nearly 50 essays by the leading scholars in each language provide comprehensive discussion of the morphology of these languages; and the set is edited by one of the last half-century’s foremost experts on the linguistics of this region. In two volumes totaling almost 1400 pages, this publication provides the most up-to-date summary of the morphology of languages: both ancient languages – from Akkadian to Syriac – and modern – from Arabic to Tsez. Essays on the non-Afroasiatic languages spoken in the geographical region, such as Hittite, Sumerian, Sanskrit, and Armenian (for example), are also included.

More details can be found at the website of Eisenbrauns:

In 1997, Eisenbrauns published the highly-regarded two-volume Phonologies of Asia and Africa, edited by Alan Kaye with the assistance of Peter T. Daniels, and the book rapidly became the standard reference for the phonologies of the Afro-Asiatic languages. Now the concept has been extended, and Kaye has assembled nearly 50 scholars to write essays on the morphologies of the same language group. The coverage is complete, copious, and again will likely become the standard work in the field. Contributors are an international Who’s Who of Afro-Asiatic linguistics, from Appleyard to Leslau to Voigt.

It is with great sadness that we report the death of Alan Kaye on May 31, 2007, while these volumes were in the final stages of preparation for the press. Alan was diagnosed with bone cancer on May 1 while on research leave in the United Arab Emirates and was brought home to Fullerton by his son on May 22.