Filling a critical gap in modern Romance language scholarship, and providing a theoretically strong, factually reliable reference source for future generations of linguists, this book surveys the structure and evolution of the Romance language family. A systematic balance of diachronic and synchronic approaches, it is the most comprehensive treatment of Romance languages available for both general reference and specialized linguistic investigation, examining Latin, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Rumanian, Catalan, Occitan, Sardinian, Rhaeto-Romance, and Romance-based pidgins and creoles. The treatments of each Romance language, by scholars of established reputation in that language, cover all main features, including phonology, morphology, syntax, and lexis. To aid the reader, each chapter concludes with a select list of reference works and further readings, and the book includes both an analytic index and a system of cross-reference within the main body of the text.