Book excerpt: Chamorro Reference Grammar is a detailed description of the grammatical structure of the indigenous language of the Mariana Islands. It is designed primarily as a reference work which will serve to give native speakers some insight into the complexities of their language and to encourage its use at a time when other languages are more prestigious. The book contains an introduction to Chamorro, and its developmental history and dialectal variations, and, with a minimum of technical linguistic terms, it treats phonology, morphology, and syntax. Notes to linguists and a glossary of linguistic terms are included.