The History of English - Softcover

Shay, Scott

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0615168175 ISBN 13: 9780615168173

Publisher: Wardja Press, 2007

Synopsis

The History of English: A Linguistic Introduction is for anyone interested in the history of the English language. While leading the reader through the pre-history of English, through Germanic times, Old English, Middle English, Early Modern English, and Modern English, the book also introduces the reader to concepts in theoretical and historical linguistics. It includes authentic texts from each period of the language, from Beowulf to the King James Bible. This book is a great introduction to the field of linguistics for anyone interested in language!

About this title

From the Author:

This book provides you with an introduction to the history of the English language, and along the way, it teaches you the necessary concepts of both theoretical as well as historical linguistics. The book assumes no prior knowledge of linguistics--you learn as you read! This book was the culmination of a lifelong journey for me. After having read Mario Pei's (very accessible) books on language as a young teenager, I knew that one day, I would carry on his tradition of writing books about language and linguistics for anyone interested in language. So many books on the history of our language assume that the reader is already a student of linguistics. This book is different. I would venture to say it's the only one of its kind on the market today.Germanic linguistics, and especially the history of the English language, have been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember. I hope to continue to publish more books on these topics for linguists and non-linguists alike.

From the Back Cover:

HWĘT ǷE GARDENA in gear-dagumžeodcyninga žrym gefrunonhu ša ęželingas ellen fremedon The text above is the beginning of the epic poem, Beowulf, one of the earliest works in English literature. Yes, the words above are English, Old English, to be exact. It is English as it was spoken in the first millennium of our era. As you can see, it is quite different from the English you speak today. In The History of English: A Linguistic Introduction, you will learn about the history of English from prehistoric times, before the advent of writing, to its Germanic ancestry, the conquest of Britain, its flowering in the Middle Ages, and its status today as an international language. While learning about its history, you will be introduced to various topics in historical and theoretical linguistics. You will learn about aspects of the grammar of the various stages of the language, and you will be introduced to authentic texts from each period.The History of English is for everyone interested in learning more about the history of the language and for those who would like a first introduction to the study of language, linguistics.Scott Shay is a linguist and author of books on Germanic linguistics. He received a Master of Arts degree from the University of California, Berkeley in Germanic linguistics.

About this edition

• Publisher: Wardja Press
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 0615168175
• ISBN 13: 9780615168173
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 232