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by Helen Mae Innes (Author), Sarah Weidig (Cover Design by)
A little-known practice interprets the sounds of birds, insects, animals, and even inanimate objects as intelligible yet onomatopoeic words. Common examples include the Yellowhammer's song rendered as 'A little bit of bread and no cheese, please' and the Bushcricket's call as 'Katy did, Katy didn't.'
Despite being widespread across languages and cultures, 'birdsong mnemonics' have rarely been explored-and never at this depth. This groundbreaking book brings together 1,500 examples from 62 languages. It examines what these imitations share and argues for new terminology and a revised classification system.
Dr Innes transforms her PhD research into an accessible and intriguing book of interest to researchers, both amateur and professional, as well as to those curious about this obscure yet engaging topic. Essential reading for anyone who found Hannah Sarvasy's study of warblish compelling and wanted more.
