The origins and development of the English language

The fourth edition of THE ORIGINS AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE continues to focus on the internal history of English -- its sounds, grammar, and vocabulary. In organization, the vocabulary is still treated most intensely in the final three chapter of the book. By studying the history of English, one can better understand the irregularities of modern English as well as finding more about ourselves.

John Algeo is Professor Emeritus of English at the University of Georgia. He is past president of the American Dialect Society, the Dictionary Society of North America, and the American Name Society. He was an associate editor of the OXFORD COMPANION TO THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE and editor of Volume 6 of the CAMBRIDGE HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE: ENGLISH IN NORTH AMERICA. He was a Fulbright Senior Research Scholar and a Guggenheim Fellow at University College London and is author of the 2006 Cambridge book BRITISH OR AMERICAN ENGLISH? A HANDBOOK OF WORD AND GRAMMAR PATTERNS.