Pierre Bourdieu's writings on language, which are gathered in this volume for the first time in their original form, initially appear as a side issue within the context of his overall work, but soon reveal themselves as a fundamental support for his theory of the social world. Bourdieu develops a radically sociological perspective on the relationship between language and speaking, and uncovers a logic of language practice that can only be understood against the backdrop of social hierarchies of legitimate speech and massive power relations. A lasting contribution to linguistics, a significant chapter in sociological cultural theory.