The Design of Language is a comprehensive introduction to general descriptive linguistics and the typology of language. The book is divided into nine chapters, which discuss linguistic levels, sounds and phonemes, more abstract phonology, grammatical categories, morphemes, morphophonemics, morphosyntax, syntax, and more abstract syntax. The chapters on abstract phonology and syntax introduce slightly more advanced issues (such as underlying levels, transformational rules, and Universal Grammar); otherwise, the book covers topics introduced at the undergraduate level. The supplementary readings at the end of most sections refer students to other textbooks and primary literature.