Sociolinguistics

Author: Karl Wei
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2001-05-01
Features: The world-famous "What Do I Know?" series is a popular encyclopedic knowledge series compiled and published by the University of France Press since 1941. Over more than half a century, with the continuous development of scientific knowledge, the scope of the series has expanded, and its content has been constantly updated, covering all fields of social sciences and natural sciences as well as all aspects of human life. Since the authors of the series are all renowned experts and scholars in their respective fields, each book is written in an accessible yet profound manner, combining knowledge and entertainment. To date, the series has published over 3,000 titles and has had a significant impact worldwide, translated into more than 40 languages. "What Do I Know?" was originally a phrase by the 16th-century French philosopher Montaigne. It not only illustrates the boundless nature of knowledge but also reflects the thirst for knowledge of that generation during the Renaissance. In 1941, France was in a critical period. The University of France Press chose this phrase as the name of the series, publishing it not only to meet the needs of university teaching and student reading under the special circumstances of the war but also, undoubtedly, to popularize knowledge, inspire people's enthusiasm for reading, and revitalize the French nation. Today, our country is in a new era of advancing toward modernization, and the entire nation is striving to build a prosperous and strong socialist country. We believe that selectively translating and publishing this series will also play its due role for us. The translation and publication of this series have been supported by the University of France Press and the French Embassy in China, for which we express our sincere gratitude. Due to the large number of original works and the urgency of the time, there may inevitably be imperfections in the selection and translation. Some works may hold biased opinions, and we hope readers will bear with us.