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Synopsis
Born as a Germanic tongue with the arrival in Britain of the Anglo-Saxons in the early medieval period, heavily influenced by Norman French from the 11th century, and finally emerging as modern English from the late Middle Ages, the English language has grown to become the linguistic equivalent of a superpower, and is now sometimes described as the world's lingua franca.
Worldwide some 380 million people speak English as a first language and some 600 million as a second language. A staggering one billion people are believed to be learning it. English is the premier international language in communications, science, business, aviation, entertainment, and diplomacy and also on the Internet. It has been one of the official languages of the United Nations since its founding in 1945. It is considered by many good judges to be well on the way to becoming the world's first universal language.
Author Philip Gooden tells the story of the English language in all its richness and variety. From the intriguing origins and changing definitions of common words such as 'OK', 'beserk', 'curfew', 'cabal' and 'pow-wow', to the massive transformations wrought in the vocabulary and structure of the language by Anglo-Saxon and Norman conquest, through to the literary triumphs of Beowulf, The Canterbury Tales and the works of Shakespeare.
The Story of English is a fascinating tale of linguistic, social and cultural transformation, and one that is accessibly and authoritatively told by an author in perfect command of his material.
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About the Author
Philip Gooden is the author of The Guinness Guide to Better English and the editor of The Mammoth Book of Literary Anecdotes.
From Booklist
With thousands of languages on the planet, why has English eclipsed all others as the global tongue? Gooden answers this question by tracing the evolution of English from the medieval era, when swarms of Angles and Saxons overwhelmed the Celts, to the twenty-first century, when an invasion of previously taboo English obscenities swept past traditionally oriented editors. Readers learn about how the bookish Alfred the Great protected not only his realm but also his language from Viking invaders; how William the Conqueror brutally vanquished England’s armies but allowed England’s language to survive; and how such poets as Chaucer and Shakespeare let loose a linguistic exuberance later disciplined and standardized by lexicographer Samuel Johnson. But Gooden recognizes that it is finally the vibrantly American version of the language—the language of Jefferson, Lincoln, Kennedy, and Obama—that has not only preserved English’s worldwide primacy since the collapse of the British Empire but also has enriched it with new cultural possibilities. A thoroughly engaging historical introduction to a dynamic language. --Bryce Christensen
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- PublisherQuercus Publishing
- Publication date2011
- ISBN 10 0857383280
- ISBN 13 9780857383280
- BindingPaperback
- Number of pages304
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Softcover. Condition: Good. Born as a Germanic tongue with the arrival in Britain of the Anglo-Saxons in the early medieval period, heavily influenced by Norman French from the 11th century, and finally emerging as modern English from the late Middle Ages, the English language has grown to become the linguistic equivalent of a superpower, and is now sometimes described as the world's lingua franca.Worldwide some 380 million people speak English as a first language and some 600 million as a second language. A staggering one billion people are believed to be learning it. English is the premier international language in communications, science, business, aviation, entertainment, and diplomacy and also on the Internet. It has been one of the official languages of the United Nations since its founding in 1945. It is considered by many good judges to be well on the way to becoming the world's first universal language.Author Philip Gooden tells the story of the English language in all its richness and variety. From the intriguing origins and changing definitions of common words such as 'OK', 'beserk', 'curfew', 'cabal' and 'pow-wow', to the massive transformations wrought in the vocabulary and structure of the language by Anglo-Saxon and Norman conquest, through to the literary triumphs of Beowulf, The Canterbury Tales and the works of Shakespeare.The Story of English is a fascinating tale of linguistic, social and cultural transformation, and one that is accessibly and authoritatively told by an author in perfect command of his material. Seller Inventory # SONG0857383280
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