Why Do Languages Change? - Softcover

Trask, R. L.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0521546931 ISBN 13: 9780521546935

Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 2009

Synopsis

The first recorded English name for the make-up we now call blusher was paint, in 1660. In the 1700s a new word, rouge, displaced paint, and remained in standard usage for around two centuries. Then, in 1965, an advertisement coined a new word for the product: blusher. Each generation speaks a little differently, and every language is constantly changing. It is not only words that change, every aspect of a language changes over time - pronunciation, word-meanings and grammar. Packed with fascinating examples of changes in the English language over time, this entertaining book explores the origin of words and place names, the differences between British and American English, and the apparent eccentricities of the English spelling system. Amusingly written yet deeply instructive, it will be enjoyed by anyone involved in studying the English language and its history, as well as anyone interested in how and why languages change.

About this title

Review

'Clear, sensible and stimulating ... a fine memorial to the late Larry Trask. This book deserves to succeed as a splendid introductory text for anyone interested in language change.' Jeremy J. Smith, University of Glasgow

'Trask's enthusiasm and learning are obvious ... will give its readers more enjoyment than many other volumes on the subject ...' The Times Literary Supplement

Book Description

Packed with fascinating examples of changes in the English language over time, this entertaining book explores the origin of words and place names, the differences between British and American English, and the apparent eccentricities of the English spelling system.

About this edition

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 0521546931
• ISBN 13: 9780521546935
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 210