People have been fascinated with fundamental questions about language and communication for thousands of years. How did human language originate? Why are there so many different languages? Are features of language and communication arbitrary or do fundamental universal patterns prevail? By introducing readers to these kinds of questions, this comprehensive, alphabetically arranged volume presents a more complete and detailed picture of how Western and non-Western traditions influence one another.Readers will discover the sociocultural rules one must learn in order to use language. By examining how people from different cultural backgrounds rely on traditional and emerging cultural rules for social interaction, readers will have a greater sensitivity to many of the communication barriers that exist in the modern world. Language and Communication will prove to be an indispensable resource to students of anthropology, languages, communications, sociology, and multicultural studies.