A History of the English Language

By N.F. Blake

Book Overview

Unlike other histories of the English language, this introduction cuts away traditional divisions into old, middle and modern English to chart the rise of and changes in standard English. It covers the English and historical background, changes in phonology, vocabulary and syntax, and offers close analyses of individual texts of English from a wide range of periods. The final chapter focuses on the place of English as a world language and the growing array of the varieties of English spoken today. A useful appendix gives definitions of technical terms and phonetic symbols.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0333609840
• ISBN13: 9780333609842
• Release Date: October 1996
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
• Length: 400 Pages
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Not for the pseudo-intellectual

This is an excellent overview of the history of the English language. It is NOT a pop-linguistic, pseudo-educational book for those interested in easy-to-digest mini-facts. If you are interested in clear, lucid prose, an excellent diachronic examination of the changes that occurred in English (especially in the vowel system), combined with constant attention to extra-linguistic variables such as the effects of geography, religion, war, and (later) orthography, then this is an excellent buy. The book has no "agenda," as so-many books dealing with this topic do (i.e. it is neither pro-French nor pro-British). As for the "complex terminology" mentioned in another review, try using a dictionary (the terminology is NOT complex for anyone with even a modicum of linguisitic knowledge).