The English Language: Structure and DevelopmentThe 'correct' use of English has been the subject of vigorous debate in recent years. But what defines 'correctness' in our use of language? And how has this altered over time? In this authoritative survey of the history of the English language, the author examines how linguistic traditions have changed and developed over the centuries to produce the language that we are familiar with today. Taking present-day usage as its starting point, the book uses a topic-based approach to explore the historical development of vocabulary, grammar, syntax, sounds and spellings, thus providing both a firm sense of the structure of the language and an outline of its history. |
Contents
The Vocabulary of English | |
Arranging Words | |
How Words Mean | |
Receiving Words | |
Correct Words? | |
Linguistic Glossary | |
Select Bibliography | |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
adjective adverbial affixes analytic language auxiliary verbs become beginning better Bible borrowed into English called Cambridge CATS Chancery Standard Chaucer cohesion compounds context conversation dialect distinction earlier Early Modern English England English Grammar English Language especially etymology examples fourteenth century French Germanic Germanic language grammatical words Hamlet indicate intonation Johnson King late West Saxon later Latin Lear linguistic literary loan words London M.E. period main clause meaning Middle English Midland morphemes names normal origin Oxford English Dictionary particular passage past participle past tense perhaps person phonemes plural poem prepositions pronoun pronunciation punctuation PURR questions Renaissance Scandinavian semantic semantic change sentence Shakespeare simply singular sometimes Sonnet 18 sound speak speech spelling spoken Standard English stress subordinate clause suffix suggested syntax synthetic language thou translation University Press usually vowel writing written Wycliffite þat