Items related to The Stories of English
Synopsis
A groundbreaking and entertaining history of worldwide English in all its dialects, differences, and linguistic delights.
"A work of impeccable scholarship." --New York Times "Informative . . . distinctive . . . a spirited celebration." --The Guardian "Simply the best introductory history of the English language family that we have. The plan of the book is ingenious, the writing lively, the exposition clear, and the scholarly standard uncompromisingly high." --J.M. Coetzee, winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature In this "well-informed and appealing" work (Publishers Weekly), David Crystal provides a startlingly original view of where the richness, creativity, and diversity of the language truly lies--in the accents and dialects of English users all over the world. Whatever their regional, social, or ethnic background, each group has a story worth telling, whether it is in Scotland or Somerset, South Africa or Singapore. He reminds us that for several hundred wonderful years, there was no such thing as "incorrect" English--and traces the evolution of the language from a few thousand Anglo-Saxons to the 1.5 billion people who speak it today. Moving from Beowulf to Chaucer to Shakespeare to Dickens and the present day, Crystal puts regional speech and writing at center stage, giving a sense of the social realities behind the development of English. This significant shift in perspective enables us to understand for the first time the importance of everyday, previously marginalized, voices in our language--and provides an argument too for the way English should be taught in the future. "Learned and often provocative . . . demonstrates repeatedly that common conceptions about language are often historically inaccurate--split infinitives bothered no one until recently (likewise sentence-ending prepositions)." --Kirkus (starred review)"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
About the Author
David Crystal is honorary professor of linguistics at the University of Wales, Bangor, and the editor of The Penguin Encyclopedia.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Other Popular Editions of the Same Title
Search results for The Stories of English
Stock Image
The Stories of English
Seller: HPB-Ruby, Dallas, TX, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Paperback. Condition: Very Good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority! Seller Inventory # S_421436928
Quantity: 1 available
Stock Image
The Stories of English
Seller: SecondSale, Montgomery, IL, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: Good. Item in good condition. Textbooks may not include supplemental items i.e. CDs, access codes etc. Seller Inventory # 00092112973
Quantity: 2 available
Stock Image
The Stories of English
Seller: SecondSale, Montgomery, IL, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: Very Good. Item in very good condition! Textbooks may not include supplemental items i.e. CDs, access codes etc. Seller Inventory # 00091127220
Quantity: 2 available
Stock Image
The Stories of English
Seller: SecondSale, Montgomery, IL, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: Acceptable. Item in acceptable condition! Textbooks may not include supplemental items i.e. CDs, access codes etc. Seller Inventory # 00092317022
Quantity: 2 available
Stock Image
The Stories of English
Seller: HPB-Diamond, Dallas, TX, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Paperback. Condition: Very Good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority! Seller Inventory # S_403693649
Quantity: 1 available
Stock Image
The Stories of English
Seller: ThriftBooks-Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Paperback. Condition: Very Good. No Jacket. May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 1.19. Seller Inventory # G1585677191I4N00
Quantity: 1 available
Stock Image
The Stories of English
Seller: ThriftBooks-Atlanta, AUSTELL, GA, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Paperback. Condition: Good. No Jacket. Former library book; Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 1.19. Seller Inventory # G1585677191I3N10
Quantity: 1 available
Stock Image
The Stories of English
Seller: ThriftBooks-Reno, Reno, NV, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Paperback. Condition: Very Good. No Jacket. May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 1.19. Seller Inventory # G1585677191I4N00
Quantity: 1 available
Stock Image
The Stories of English
Seller: ThriftBooks-Atlanta, AUSTELL, GA, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Paperback. Condition: Very Good. No Jacket. May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 1.19. Seller Inventory # G1585677191I4N00
Quantity: 1 available
Stock Image
The Stories of English
Seller: ThriftBooks-Dallas, Dallas, TX, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Paperback. Condition: Very Good. No Jacket. May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 1.19. Seller Inventory # G1585677191I4N00
Quantity: 1 available