The Story of English in 100 Words - Softcover

Crystal, David

Softcover

ISBN 10: 125002420X ISBN 13: 9781250024206

Publisher: Picador, 2013

Synopsis

In this entertaining history world's most ubiquitous language, linguistics expert David Crystal draws on one hundred words that best illustrate the huge variety of sources, influences and events that have helped to shape our vernacular since the word "roe" was written down on the bone ankle of a roe deer in the fifth century. Featuring ancient words (‘loaf'), cutting-edge terms that reflect our world (‘twittersphere'), indispensable words that shape our tongue ("and", "what"), and more fanciful words ("fopdoodle"), David Crystal takes readers on a tour of the winding byways of our language via the rude, the obscure, and the downright surprising.

About this title

About the Author:

David Crystal is Honorary Professor of Linguistics at the University of Wales, Bangor. In 1995, he was awarded the Order of the British Empire for services to the English language. He lives in the United Kingdom.

Review:

"The best word book to come down the pike in many a moon. There are "Eureka!" moments in every chapter. An ingenious idea, and only David Crystal could have pulled it off. He's a marvel (but then we knew that already)."--Patricia T. O'Conner and Stewart Kellerman, authors of "Origins of the Specious: Myths and Misconceptions of the English Language", and bloggers at Grammarphobia.com

About this edition

• Publisher: Picador
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 125002420X
• ISBN 13: 9781250024206
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 288