Introduction to the History of English (Paperback)

Thomas Kohnen

ISBN 10: 3631560044 / ISBN 13: 9783631560044

Published by Peter Lang AG, Bern, 2014

About this Item

Paperback. This book is written for students of English who are interested in the history of the language and would like to read an accessible but also comprehensive and reasonably detailed introduction. Apart from basic information about language change and the Indo-European background of English, it gives an outline of the major periods of the language (Old English, Middle English, Early Modern English and Late Modern English), with a brief examination of the perspectives of present-day English. Each period chapter provides information about the socio-historical background, the core areas of linguistic structure, discourse, speech acts and genres, and concludes with study questions and exercises. This introduction to the history of English includes chapters on language change, the Indo-European background of English, and on Old English, Middle English, Early Modern English and Late Modern English. It offers information about the socio-historical background, the core areas of linguistic structure, discourse, speech acts and genres. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.

Seller Inventory # 9783631560044

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Introduction to the History of English (Paperback)
• Publisher: Peter Lang AG, Bern
• Publication Date: 2014
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 3631560044
• ISBN 13: 9783631560044
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Condition: new

About this title

Synopsis

This book is written for students of English who are interested in the history of the language and would like to read an accessible but also comprehensive and reasonably detailed introduction. Apart from basic information about language change and the Indo-European background of English, it gives an outline of the major periods of the language (Old English, Middle English, Early Modern English and Late Modern English), with a brief examination of the perspectives of present-day English. Each period chapter provides information about the socio-historical background, the core areas of linguistic structure, discourse, speech acts and genres, and concludes with study questions and exercises.

About the Author

Thomas Kohnen is Professor of English historical linguistics at the University of Cologne. His major fields of study include historical pragmatics and historical text linguistics, corpus linguistics, historical syntax, speech act theory as well as orality and literacy and the language of religion.