The English Language

This bestselling text by Charles Barber recounts the history of the English language from its ancestry to the present day.

Charles Barber (Author), Joan Beal (Author), Philip Shaw (Author)

9781107693937, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 29 March 2012

318 pages, 1 map
21.5 x 13.8 x 1.8 cm, 0.46 kg

'A clear, readable introduction to language … the layers of vocabulary are dealt with brilliantly …' Good Book Guide

This bestselling text by Charles Barber, with updating contributions from Joan C. Beal and Philip A. Shaw, recounts the history of the English language from its remote ancestry to the present day. Using dozens of familiar texts, including the English of King Alfred, Shakespeare and Chaucer, the English language is explored in terms of where it came from, where it is going and the global impact it has had, taking into account the many varieties of English that now exist. Stimulating and interesting, it is not only written for specialists on language and linguistics, but also for general readers who take an interest in the subject.

1. What is language?
2. The flux of language
3. The Indo-European languages
4. The Germanic languages
5. Old English
6. Norsemen and Normans
7. Middle English
8. Early Modern English
9. Late Modern English
10. English as a world language
11. English today and tomorrow.

Subject Areas: Historical & comparative linguistics [CFF], Linguistics [CF]