A History of the English Language'a comprehensive introduction...detailed, scholarly and persuasive...the book's continued relevance to our contemporary arguments and language makes his account particularly stimulating.' - Brian Cox, Times Educational Supplement |
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Common terms and phrases
accepted adjective adopted adverb Ælfric Anglo-Norman Anglo-Saxon auxiliary back vowel became become borrowed Chancery Chancery Standard Chaucer classes clause common conjunction Conquest consonant dialects dictionary diphthongs earlier educated England English language example expressed feature followed fourteenth century French front vowels function genitive Germanic gradually grammar grammarians important indicate inflections influence initial large number later Latin learned linguistic London long vowel manuscripts meaning meant Middle English Midlands Modern English noun group occur Old English Old Norse origin palatal particularly past participle pattern period personal pronoun phonemes phrasal verbs plural poem poetry political prefix preposition preterite pronunciation Received Pronunciation recognised refer represented scribe sentence short vowels singular sixteenth century sound speakers speech spelling system spoken language standard English standard language standardised subjunctive survive syntax tense texts translation usage varieties of English vocabulary West Midlands West Saxon words writing system