A History of the English LanguageThis exceptionally clear text focuses on internal changes in the English language. It outlines the history of English from pre-Old English times to the present. Not only does it present the traditional morphological descriptions of the various stages of the language, it provides many example sentences, texts, and cartoons that are analyzed for the benefit of the student and which make this book ideal for class use. Some language-external topics are covered such as early printing and authorship debates. Tables and figures complement the material covered and exercises review the main points as well as ask further, more challenging, questions. Answers to the exercises are provided, as is a time line listing some of the external events, and some guidance on how to use the OED. Complementary web site information is provided throughout the book, and a companion web site accompanies the book. This book has a companion website: www.historyofenglish.net |
Contents
1 The English Language | 1 |
2 English Spelling Soundsand Grammar | 13 |
3 Before Old English | 29 |
4 Old English | 47 |
5 From Old to Middle English | 91 |
6 Middle English | 111 |
7 Early Modern English | 155 |
8 Modern English | 203 |
9 English around the World | 249 |
10 Conclusion | 281 |
Appendices | 293 |
319 | |
331 | |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
adjectives alliteration American analytic appear Appendix auxiliaries become borrowed British called Celtic century changes Chapter common consonants continues creoles dialects Dictionary discussed earlier Early Modern English edition endings English period examine example external Figure forms French frequent fricative front Germanic given grammar indicate influence initial instance interesting internal introduced king language late later Latin less letters linguistic lists loans look meaning mentioned Middle English Note nouns object occurs Old English origin palatalization past period person plural political prepositions present pronouns pronunciation reasons regional regular relative respectively result rules Scandinavian sentence shift shows similar sometimes sound South speakers spelling spoken standard starts stop strong syntax Table texts third translation typical varieties verbs vocabulary voiced vowels words writing written