This innovative handbook takes a fresh look at the currently underestimated linguistic diversity of Africa, the continent with the largest number of languages in the world. It covers the major domains of linguistics, offering both a representative picture of Africa's linguistic landscape as well as new and at times unconventional perspectives. The focus is not so much on exhaustiveness as on the fruitful relationship between African and general linguistics and the contributions the two domains can make to each other. This volume is thus intended for readers with a specific interest in African languages and also for students and scholars within the greater discipline of linguistics.

• Preface
• List of contributors
• Table of contents
• 1. A survey of African languages
• 2. Historical linguistics and genealogical language classification in Africa
• 3. Language contact and areal linguistics in Africa
• 4. Phonetics and African languages
• 5. Current issues in African phonology
• 6. Current issues in African morphosyntax
• 7. Anthropological and cognitive linguistics in Africa
• 8. African socio- and applied linguistics
• References
• Further Reading
• Index 1: Subjects
• Index 2: Languages, language groups, and areas