The book emerges from several contemporary concerns in mathematics, language, and mathematics education. It combines discussion of linguistics and mathematics using examples from each to illustrate the other. The main field is that of ethnomathematics, and the work of Ubiratan D'Ambrosio in bringing to our awareness the sociocultural context of mathematics and its pedagogy. The book contains original material and ideas. It is based on experience and describes many examples to provide new insights into common mathematical experiences like fractions and circles.