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Product Description
Product Description
English is spoken or written today by a third of the world's population - an unprecedented achievement for a language. How has this situation come about? And what happens to a language when it is used by so many? In this illustrated history David Crystal charts the development of the language from the earliest runic inscriptions in Old English, through the emergence of a standard variety of English between 1400 and 1800, to the most modern forms of the language in 'concrete' and 'text' poetry. In telling the story he draws on examples from English in its various guises and uses - from our everyday English to English in the workplace and English used as a medium of playful and literary expression. The regional and international varieties of English are also considered. This book shows us where language is now, where it has been, and - perhaps most important of all - where it is heading, for the new varieties of the language appearing in world literature and on the Internet show that this is a story which is by no means over.
About the Author
David Crystal is a writer, lecturer and broadcaster on language and linguistics. He is the author of many books including The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language (CUP, 1995), The Stories of English (Penguin, 2005), By Hook or by Crook: A Journey in Search of English (HarperPress, 2007) and Txtng: The Gr8 Db8 (OUP, 2008).
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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Rarely has scholarship been so much fun. This book is an adjunct to the exhibition of the same name at the British Library (free, and showing till 3rd April 2011), and it traces the history of our language from its now unrecognisable origins in Saxon times ('Beowulf') to present day txtspk, gathering in Chaucer, Caxton, Shakespeare, the King James Bible on the way - right up to regional and colonial dialects (how to speak pukka) and much else. For slang and profanity you have to visit the exhibition,(where you can also sample video clips) or go to the lectures. But the book gives a wonderful sample of what's on offer there. It is authoritative and well written; but also huge fun; beautifully produced and illustrated, with texts ranging from the Bible to childrens books to shipping inventories to political tracts to posters to advertisements to linguistic frivolities; all clearly explained and set in context without any trace of solemnity. A book to enjoy from cover to cover, or to dip into from the coffee table.
3 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This book is based on the exhibition "Evolving English" in the British Library (on until April 2011, I believe). The title says it all. I would recommend this book to all speakers of English but particularly to those who are studying the language.
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