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Review: Don't Sleep, There Are Snakes by Daniel Everett

By Lucy Dodwell

3 December 2008

Âé¶¹´«Ã½. Science news and long reads from expert journalists, covering developments in science, technology, health and the environment on the website and the magazine.

(Image: Pantheon)

THE title of this book is how the ±Ê¾±°ù²¹³óã tribe of the Amazon rainforest say goodnight to each other. Linguist lived with them for 30 years, studying their language. In this immensely interesting and deeply moving account of his experiences, Everett provides unique insights into ±Ê¾±°ù²¹³óã culture as well as examining their language in depth. His controversial claims that it has no recursion and that grammar can be affected by culture could have profound implications on linguistics as we know it. One of the best books I have read.

Don’t Sleep, There Are Snakes

Daniel Everett…

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