The Mother Tongue

Bill Bryson

HarperCollins, Sep 1, 1991 - Language Arts & Disciplines - 272 pages

With dazzling wit and astonishing insight, Bill Bryson--the acclaimed author of The Lost Continent--brilliantly explores the remarkable history, eccentricities, resilience and sheer fun of the English language. From the first descent of the larynx into the throat (why you can talk but your dog can't), to the fine lost art of swearing, Bryson tells the fascinating, often uproarious story of an inadequate, second-rate tongue of peasants that developed into one of the world's largest growth industries.

What people are saying

Review: The Mother Tongue: English and How It Got That Way

User Review  - Mark - Goodreads

As someone who has taught courses on "The History of the English Language" at the university and graduate levels, I'm probably not the best person to review this book, but I will say I loved it. It's ...

Review: The Mother Tongue: English and How It Got That Way

User Review  - Johnbarefield - Goodreads

I thought this book would be ideal for me, since language is part of my degree and one of my interests. It turns out that was not the case, as I often found the book inaccurate and disorganized, a ...

About the author

Bill Bryson is the bestselling author of At Home, A Walk in the Woods, The Lost Continent, Made in America, The Mother Tongue, and A Short History of Nearly Everything, winner of the Aventis Prize. Born in Des Moines, Iowa, Bryson lives in England with his wife and children.

Bibliographic information

• Title: The Mother Tongue
• Author: Bill Bryson
• Edition: 13, reprint, reissue, revised
• Publisher: HarperCollins, 1991
• ISBN: 0380715430, 9780380715435
• Length: 272 pages
• Subjects: Humor / Form / Essays; Language Arts & Disciplines / General