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The English Language: A Linguistic History

Name: The English Language: A Linguistic History
Author: Laurel J. Brinton
ISBN: 9780195431575

by Laurel J. Brinton, Leslie K. Arnovick

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Overview

Rooted in formal linguistics and designed for students with no background in languages or linguistics this text is ideal for full- and half-year courses in the history of the English language.

Synopsis

The English Language surveys the development of the English language from its Indo-European past to the present day. It covers the entire history of the English language beginning with its prehistoric origins in Proto-Indo-European and includes thorough coverage of its four major periods: Old English, Middle English, Early Modern English, and Modern English. The second edition features a convenient quick reference guide for reference and review as well as a comprehensive timeline of the major events in the development of English. In addition to fully updated print and web references directing students to the latest research, the new edition also offers enhanced discussion of a number of topics: the effects of media (radio, television, computers) on the language; the socio-cultural causes of change; the expansion of the vocabulary of Modern English during the Renaissance; and the sources and dialects of Canadian English, including consideration of the effects of immigration on the language (illustrated with maps).

About the Author, Laurel J. Brinton

Laurel J. Brinton, professor, University of British Columbia, specializes in English language studies and in the interface between language and literature. In addition to co-authoring The English Language: A Linguistic History, she is currently co-editing the two-volume Handbook of Historical English Linguistics (Mouton) and serves as an associate editor of the revision of the Dictionary of Canadianisms on Historical Principles.

Leslie K. Arnovick, professor, University of British Columbia, published her first book, The Development of Future Constructions in English, in 1991. In addition to co-authoring The English Language: A Linguistic History, she has also written several monographs profiling medieval English.