From Caxton to Carlyle
From Caxton to Carlyle

Author: J. H. Francis

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2015-12-03

Total Pages: 253

ISBN-13: 1107536782

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Originally published in 1937, this book presents a study regarding the development of language, composition and style in English prose from the late medieval period through to the first half of the nineteenth century. The text is organised chronologically with each chapter containing a series of passages from a specific era and a commentary on prose characteristics. Detailed notes are incorporated throughout. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in literary criticism and the development of English literature.

Caxton, Mirrour of Fifteenth-century Letters
Caxton, Mirrour of Fifteenth-century Letters

Author: Nellie Slayton Aurner

Publisher:

Published: 1926

Total Pages: 342

ISBN-13:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This volume explores the life, and more importantly, the effect William Caxton had both on the development of printed books in England, and on the literature accepted as 'literature' by the reading public. Caxton printed a wide variety of texts, but his choices seem to reveal two related motives: a persistent effort to make various kinds of books available to an audience unlearned in Latin and an equally steady insistence that what is read be morally profitable.

The Secret Life of Words
The Secret Life of Words

Author: Henry Hitchings

Publisher: Macmillan + ORM

Published: 2009-09-29

Total Pages: 450

ISBN-13: 142994157X

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Words are essential to our everyday lives. An average person spends his or her day enveloped in conversations, e-mails, phone calls, text messages, directions, headlines, and more. But how often do we stop to think about the origins of the words we use? Have you ever thought about which words in English have been borrowed from Arabic, Dutch, or Portuguese? Try admiral, landscape, and marmalade, just for starters. The Secret Life of Words is a wide-ranging account not only of the history of English language and vocabulary, but also of how words witness history, reflect social change, and remind us of our past. Henry Hitchings delves into the insatiable, ever-changing English language and reveals how and why it has absorbed words from more than 350 other languages—many originating from the most unlikely of places, such as shampoo from Hindi and kiosk from Turkish. From the Norman Conquest to the present day, Hitchings narrates the story of English as a living archive of our human experience. He uncovers the secrets behind everyday words and explores the surprising origins of our most commonplace expressions. The Secret Life of Words is a rich, lively celebration of the language and vocabulary that we too often take for granted.