ABSTRACT
The starting point of discussion in linguistics is basically a study of what constitutes a language. The design features of all natural languages are discussed with its drawbacks. The question of whether language is a biological or cultural product is discussed, with arguments put forth for both, followed by instinct vs. learning in humans and animals. Artificial languages and artificial intelligence have taken centre stage, and hence, natural and artificial languages like Esperanto are compared and contrasted. A section is devoted to natural language processing, which is involved in the creation of Alexas and Siris.
The primary focus of the book is on Indian languages; and hence, the last section lists the languages of India, the branches of linguistics, and linguistics in India.
