Germanic Languages - English Language, Vocabulary, Morphology, English Etymology

English Words: History and Structure

Name: English Words: History and Structure
Author: Robert Stockwell
ISBN: 9780521709170

by Robert Stockwell, Donka Minkova

Available on Bookshop Write a review

Books.org participates in affiliate programs including Bookshop.org and the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through links on this page, at no additional cost to you.

Overview

This new edition is concerned primarily with the learned vocabulary of English - the words borrowed from the classical languages. It surveys the historical events that define the layers of vocabulary in English, introduces some of the basic principles of linguistic analysis, and is a helpful manual for vocabulary discernment and enrichment. The new edition has been updated with a discussion of the most recent trends of blending and shortening associated with texting and other forms of electronic communication and includes a new classification of the types of allomorphy. It discusses important topics such as segment sonority and the historical shifting of long vowels in English, and includes a new section on Grimm's law, explaining some of the more obscure links between Germanic and Latinate cognates. Exercises accompany each chapter and an online workbook contains readings and exercises to strengthen knowledge acquired in the classroom.

Synopsis

An introduction to some of the basic principles of linguistic analysis and a helpful manual for vocabulary discernment and enrichment.

About the Author, Robert Stockwell

Robert Stockwell is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Linguistics at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Donka Minkova is Professor of English in the Department of English at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Reviews

There are no reviews yet. Log in to write one.

Editorials

From the Publisher

'This text is very accessible to all levels of reader. Stockwell and Minkova assume no knowledge of linguistics or linguistic terminology, and they explain all technical concepts and jargon in simple terms. Anyone studying the history of the English language, or any branch of diachronic linguistics, will benefit from it. English Words: History and Structure is suitable both for undergraduates and those with a more casual interest in the subject.' Daniel Austin, Fun-with-words.com