Talking Proper: The Rise of Accent as Social Symbol

By Lynda Mugglestone

Book Overview

Talking Proper is a history of the rise and fall of the English accent as a badge of cultural, social, and class identity. Lynda Mugglestone traces the origins of the phenomenon in late eighteenth-century London, follows its history through the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and charts its downfall during the era of New Labor. This is a witty, readable account of a fascinating subject, liberally spiced with quotations from English speech and writing over the past 250 years.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0199250618
• ISBN13: 9780199250615
• Release Date: April 2003
• Publisher: OUP Oxford
• Length: 364 Pages
• Weight: 1.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.5" x 9.3"