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This is the ideal handbook for everyone who cares about the proper use of the English language. Combining the Oxford Guide to English Usage and a compact Oxford dictionary, this volume is comprehensive and exceptionally convenient for regular consultation.

This is the ideal handbook for everyone who cares about the proper use of the English language. Combining the Oxford Guide to English Usage and a compact Oxford dictionary, this volume is comprehensive and exceptionally convenient for regular consultation.

The English language, in its earliest period, was spoken by a few thousand people, most of whom were illiterate. Today, more than 300 million people speak and write English as their first language. In this book, Robert Burchfield takes us on a brief tour of our ever-changing... Read Full Overview

The English language, in its earliest period, was spoken by a few thousand people, most of whom were illiterate. Today, more than 300 million people speak and write English as their first language. In this book, Robert Burchfield takes us on a brief tour of our ever-changing... Read Full Overview

Here, Robert Burchfield, editor of the four-volume Supplement to the Oxford English Dictionary, offers a brief survey on the development of English. He expertly stresses the flexibility of the English language, tracing its ever-changing face from the 5th century AD to the present... Read Full Overview