Edwin Ardener was a social anthropologist known for his work on social, economic, demographic and political problems, and his sustained effort to bring together social anthropologists and linguists in an attempt to reconcile scientific and humanistic approaches to the study of man. This book aims to bring together the best of Ardener's papers since 1971, which have until now been scattered in various publications or have remained unpublished, and demonstrates how social anthropology and linguistics are transformed by their mutual contact. The compilation and editing of the book was completed after Edward Ardener's death in 1987 by his student and colleague Malcolm Chapman, who has contributed a biographical and critical introduction and a complete bibliography of his writings.