The Language Wars
The Language Wars

Author: Henry Hitchings

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Published: 2011-10-25

Total Pages: 418

ISBN-13: 1429995033

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The English language is a battlefield. Since the age of Shakespeare, arguments over correct usage have been bitter, and have always really been about contesting values-morality, politics, and class. The Language Wars examines the present state of the conflict, its history, and its future. Above all, it uses the past as a way of illuminating the present. Moving chronologically, the book explores the most persistent issues to do with English and unpacks the history of "proper" usage. Where did these ideas spring from? Who has been on the front lines in the language wars? The Language Wars examines grammar rules, regional accents, swearing, spelling, dictionaries, political correctness, and the role of electronic media in reshaping language. It also takes a look at such details as the split infinitive, elocution, and text messaging. Peopled with intriguing characters such as Jonathan Swift, Lewis Carroll, and Lenny Bruce, The Language Wars is an essential volume for anyone interested in the state of the English language today or its future.

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

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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.

Les Termes de la Ley Or, Certain Difficult and Obscure Words and Terms of the Common and Statute Laws of this Realm, Now in Use, Expounded and Explained
Les Termes de la Ley Or, Certain Difficult and Obscure Words and Terms of the Common and Statute Laws of this Realm, Now in Use, Expounded and Explained

Author: John Rastell

Publisher: The Lawbook Exchange, Ltd.

Published: 2012-07

Total Pages: 598

ISBN-13: 1584775475

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Last and best edition of the first English law dictionary. Corrected and greatly enlarged with English and Law French in parallel columns. This edition was translated by his son, William Rastell [1508?-1565], who is often listed as its author. First published in 1527, this pioneering dictionary was originally written in Law French with the Latin title Expositiones Terminorum Legum Anglorumae. Quite popular with students and lawyers due to its clarity and concision, it went through at least twenty-five editions by 1721. This edition was reissued in 1742 and again in 1819. As Marvin observes, it is a useful dictionary because it "reflects the common law at the close of the year-book period with much fidelity.": Legal Bibliography (1847) 599.

A Companion to the History of the English Language
A Companion to the History of the English Language

Author: Haruko Momma

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2011-05-06

Total Pages: 738

ISBN-13: 0470657936

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A Companion to the History of the English Language addresses the linguistic, cultural, social, and literary approaches to language study. The first text to offer a complete survey of the field, this volume provides the most up-to-date insights of leading international scholars. An accessible reference to the history of the English language Comprises more than sixty essays written by leading international scholars Aids literature students in incorporating language study into their work Includes an historical survey of the English language, from its Germanic and Indo- European beginnings to modern British and American English Enriched with maps, diagrams, and illustrations from historical publications Introduces the latest scholarship in the field