The Old and Middle English

By Thomas 1799-1873 Oliphant and Thomas Laurence Kington Oliphant

What if English still sounded like Beowulf? In The Old and Middle English, renowned philologist T. L. Kington Oliphant journeys back to the roots of our mother tongue, tracing how a rugged Germanic speech became the supple, expressive language we recognise today. Language shapes how we think. Moving from the Anglo-Saxon period English of kings and chroniclers through the rich, shifting idioms of medieval England, Oliphant explores sound changes, spelling, Old English grammar, and the growth of Middle English vocabulary with clarity, insight and a feel for living speech. First published in the age of comparative philology, this historical linguistics classic distils a lifetime's scholarship into a work still remarkably readable. As an English philology reference it charts the evolution of English from Beowulf to the Chaucer era English of court and city, showing how vocabulary, syntax and rhythm changed. Ideal for language students, medievalists and curious readers, it serves as an old English reference book, a Beowulf language study, or a companion to the literature of medieval England language. Collectors of classic scholarship will value its sober yet vivid portrait of the history of English language, while general readers gain a rare, close-up view of how everyday words travelled from the mead-hall to the printing press. Republished by Alpha Editions in a careful modern edition, this volume preserves the spirit of the original while making it effortless to enjoy today - a heritage title prepared for readers and collectors alike.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 935360771X
• ISBN13: 9789353607715
• Release Date: April 2019
• Publisher: Alpha Edition
• Length: 700 Pages
• Weight: 1.93 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.5" x 5.5" x 8.5"