{"title":"Of Linguistics John Mcwhorter","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"power-of-babel-book-of-linguistics-john-mcwhorter-9780060520854","title":"The Power of Babel","description":"\u003cp\u003e\"An essay in origins ... as theoretical as Hawking and Gorst in trying to see into the deep past. McWhorter is a clear and witty writer.\"-- Harper's\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn the first book written for the layperson about the natural history of language, linguistic professor John McWhorter ranges across linguistic theory, geography, history, and pop culture to tell the fascinating story of how thousands of very different languages have evolved from a single, original source in a natural process similar to biological evolution.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThere are approximately six thousand languages on Earth today, each a descendant of the tongue first spoken by Homo sapiens some 150,000 years ago. While laying out how languages mix and mutate over time, linguistics professor John McWhorter reminds us of the variety within the species that speaks them, and argues that, contrary to popular perception, language is not immutable and hidebound, but a living, dynamic entity that adapts itself to an ever-changing human environment. Full of humor and imaginative insight, The Power of Babel draws its illustrative examples from languages around the world, including pidgins, Creoles, and nonstandard dialects.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49532019769617,"sku":"GOR002525775","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ WELL_READ \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49656669405457,"sku":"GOR013466591","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ WELL_READ \/ SBYB","offer_id":50099029049617,"sku":"CIN006052085XA","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50228100333841,"sku":"CIN006052085XVG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":50983016694033,"sku":"NIN9780060520854","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":51295293112593,"sku":"GOR004550346","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":52102596198673,"sku":"CIN006052085XG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/006052085X.jpg?v=1751163291"},{"product_id":"all-about-the-beat-book-of-linguistics-john-mcwhorter-9781592403745","title":"All About the Beat","description":null,"brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49593443156241,"sku":"GOR008058088","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50162765201681,"sku":"CIN1592403743VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50283835719953,"sku":"CIN1592403743G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1592403743.jpg?v=1750894845"},{"product_id":"words-on-the-move-book-of-linguistics-john-mcwhorter-9781627794718","title":"Words on the Move","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA bestselling linguist takes us on a lively tour of how the English language is evolving before our eyes -- and why we should embrace this transformation and not fight it\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Language is always changing -- but we tend not to like it. We understand that new words must be created for new things, but the way English is spoken today rubs many of us the wrong way. Whether it''s the use of \u003ci\u003eliterally\u003c\/i\u003e to mean \"figuratively\" rather than \"by the letter,\" or the way young people use \u003ci\u003eLOL\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003elike\u003c\/i\u003e, or business jargon like \u003ci\u003eWhat''s the ask?\u003c\/i\u003e -- it often seems as if the language is deteriorating before our eyes.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e But the truth is different and a lot less scary, as John McWhorter shows in this delightful and eye-opening exploration of how English has always been in motion and continues to evolve today. Drawing examples from everyday life and employing a generous helping of humor, he shows that these shifts are a natural process common to all languages, and that we should embrace and appreciate these changes, not condemn them.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eWords on the Move\u003c\/i\u003e opens our eyes to the surprising backstories to the words and expressions we use every day. Did you know that \u003ci\u003esilly\u003c\/i\u003e once meant \"blessed\"? Or that \u003ci\u003eought\u003c\/i\u003e was the original past tense of \u003ci\u003eowe\u003c\/i\u003e? Or that the suffix \u003ci\u003e-ly\u003c\/i\u003e in adverbs is actually a remnant of the word \u003ci\u003elike\u003c\/i\u003e? And have you ever wondered why some people from New Orleans sound as if they come from Brooklyn?\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e McWhorter encourages us to marvel at the dynamism and resilience of the English language, and his book offers a lively journey through which we discover that words are ever on the move and our lives are all the richer for it.\u003c\/p\u003e d appreciate these changes, not condemn them.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eWords on the Move\u003c\/i\u003e opens our eyes to the surprising backstories to the words and expressions we use every day. Did you know that \u003ci\u003esilly\u003c\/i\u003e once meant \"blessed\"? Or that \u003ci\u003eought\u003c\/i\u003e was the original past tense of \u003ci\u003eowe\u003c\/i\u003e? Or that the suffix \u003ci\u003e-ly\u003c\/i\u003e in adverbs is actually a remnant of the word \u003ci\u003elike\u003c\/i\u003e? And have you ever wondered why some people from New Orleans sound as if they come from Brooklyn?\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e McWhorter encourages us to marvel at the dynamism and resilience of the English language, and his book offers a lively journey through which we discover that words are ever on the move and our lives are all the richer for it.d appreciate these changes, not condemn them.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eWords on the Move\u003c\/i\u003e opens our eyes to the surprising backstories to the words and expressions we use every day. Did you know that \u003ci\u003esilly\u003c\/i\u003e once meant \"blessed\"? Or that \u003ci\u003eought\u003c\/i\u003e was the original past tense of \u003ci\u003eowe\u003c\/i\u003e? Or that the suffix \u003ci\u003e-ly\u003c\/i\u003e in adverbs is actually a remnant of the word \u003ci\u003elike\u003c\/i\u003e? And have you ever wondered why some people from New Orleans sound as if they come from Brooklyn?\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e McWhorter encourages us to marvel at the dynamism and resilience of the English language, and his book offers a lively journey through which we discover that words are ever on the move and our lives are all the richer for it.d appreciate these changes, not condemn them.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eWords on the Move\u003c\/i\u003e opens our eyes to the surprising backstories to the words and expressions we use every day. Did you know that \u003ci\u003esilly\u003c\/i\u003e once meant \"blessed\"? Or that \u003ci\u003eought\u003c\/i\u003e was the original past tense of \u003ci\u003eowe\u003c\/i\u003e? Or that the suffix \u003ci\u003e-ly\u003c\/i\u003e in adverbs is actually a remnant of the word \u003ci\u003elike\u003c\/i\u003e? And have you ever wondered why some people from New Orleans sound as if they come from Brooklyn?\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e McWhorter encourages us to marvel at the dynamism and resilience of the English language, and his book offers a lively journey through which we discover that words are ever on the move and our lives are all the richer for it.\/i\u0026gt; in adverbs is actually a remnant of the word \u003ci\u003elike\u003c\/i\u003e? And have you ever wondered why some people from New Orleans sound as if they come from Brooklyn?\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e McWhorter encourages us to marvel at the dynamism and resilience of the English language, and his book offers a lively journey through which we discover that words are ever on the move and our lives are all the richer for it.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":49700701929745,"sku":"CIN1627794719G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50694910083345,"sku":"CIN1627794719VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":51757702709521,"sku":"GOR008939081","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1627794719.jpg?v=1751342829"},{"product_id":"our-magnificent-bastard-tongue-book-of-linguistics-john-mcwhorter-9781592403950","title":"Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue","description":"\u003cb\u003eA survey of the quirks and quandaries of the English language, focusing on our strange and wonderful grammar\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWhy do we say I am reading a catalog instead of I read a catalog? Why do we say do at all? Is the way we speak a reflection of our cultural values? Delving into these provocative topics and more, Our Magnificent Bastard Language distills hundreds of years of fascinating lore into one lively history. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eCovering such turning points as the little-known Celtic and Welsh influences on English, the impact of the Viking raids and the Norman Conquest, and the Germanic invasions that started it all during the fifth century ad, John McWhorter narrates this colorful evolution with vigor. Drawing on revolutionary genetic and linguistic research as well as a cache of remarkable trivia about the origins of English words and syntax patterns, \u003ci\u003eOur Magnificent Bastard Tongue \u003c\/i\u003eultimately demonstrates the arbitrary, maddening nature of English-- and its ironic simplicity due to its role as a streamlined lingua franca during the early formation of Britain. This is the book that language aficionados worldwide have been waiting for (and no, it's not a sin to end a sentence with a preposition).","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":49763419980049,"sku":"CIN1592403956G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50042448740625,"sku":"CIN1592403956VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50194970116369,"sku":"GOR003348343","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":53155235299601,"sku":"GOR009871803","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ WELL_READ \/ SBYB","offer_id":53478649495825,"sku":"CIN1592403956A","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1592403956.jpg?v=1750894845"},{"product_id":"words-on-the-move-book-of-linguistics-john-mcwhorter-9781250143785","title":"Words on the Move","description":"\u003cp\u003eLanguage is always changing, but the way English is spoken today rubs many of us the wrong way. Whether it's the use of literally to mean \"figuratively,\" or the way young people use LOL or business jargon like What's the ask?--it often seems as if the language is deteriorating before our eyes.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e But the truth is different and a lot less scary. Drawing examples from everyday life and employing a generous helping of humor, John McWhorter shows that these shifts are common to all languages, and that we should embrace these changes, not condemn them.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e He opens our eyes to the surprising backstories to words and expressions we use every day. Did you know that silly once meant \"blessed\"? Or that ought was the original past tense of owe? Or that the suffix -ly in adverbs is actually a remnant of the word like?\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e In \u003ci\u003eWords on the Move\u003c\/i\u003e, McWhorter encourages us to marvel at the dynamism and resilience of the English language, and his book offers a delightful journey where we see that words are ever on the move and our lives are all the richer for it.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49972839350545,"sku":"GOR008914615","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":49994399842577,"sku":"CIN1250143780G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":51321826083089,"sku":"CIN1250143780VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51832120082705,"sku":"NIN9781250143785","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1250143780.jpg?v=1751176706"},{"product_id":"what-language-is-book-of-linguistics-john-mcwhorter-9781592406258","title":"What Language is","description":"\u003cb\u003eA love letter to languages, celebrating their curiosities and smashing assumptions about correct grammar \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAn eye-opening tour for all language lovers, \u003ci\u003eWhat Language Is \u003c\/i\u003eoffers a fascinating new perspective on the way humans communicate. from vanishing languages spoken by a few hundred people to major tongues like Chinese, and with copious revelations about the hodgepodge nature of English, John McWhorter shows readers how to see and hear languages as a linguist does.\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003ePacked with big ideas about language alongside wonderful trivia, \u003ci\u003eWhat Language Is \u003c\/i\u003eexplains how languages across the globe (the Queen's English and Suriname creoles alike) originate, evolve, multiply, and divide. Raising provocative questions about what qualifies as a language (so-called slang does have structured grammar), McWhorter takes readers on a marvelous journey through time and place--from Persia to the languages of Sri Lanka--to deliver a feast of facts about the wonders of human linguistic expression.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50097019879697,"sku":"GOR008376678","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50248529936657,"sku":"CIN1592406254G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50764556304657,"sku":"CIN1592406254VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":53242846904593,"sku":"GOR013177496","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1592406254.jpg?v=1751245996"},{"product_id":"winning-the-race-book-of-linguistics-john-mcwhorter-9781592401888","title":"Winning the Race","description":null,"brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50320358998289,"sku":"CIN1592401880VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50385194156305,"sku":"CIN1592401880G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ WELL_READ \/ SBYB","offer_id":53625794101521,"sku":"CIN1592401880A","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1592401880.jpg?v=1750798885"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.worldofbooks.com\/en-au\/collections\/author-books-by-of-linguistics-john-mcwhorter.oembed","provider":"World of Books ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}