Inventing English by Seth Lerer

Inventing English by Seth Lerer

Why is there such a striking difference between English spelling and English pronunciation? How did our seemingly relatively simple grammar rules develop? What are the origins of regional dialect, literary language, and everyday speech, and what do they have to do with you? Seth Lerer's Inventing English is a masterful, engaging history of the English language from the age of Beowulf to the rap of Eminem. Many have written about the evolution of our grammar, pronunciation, and vocabulary, but only Lerer situates these developments in the larger history of English, America, and literature. Lerer begins in the seventh century with the poet Caedmon learning to sing what would become the earliest poem in English. He then looks at the medieval scribes and poets who gave shape to Middle English. He finds the traces of the Great Vowel Shift in the spelling choices of letter writers of the fifteenth century and explores the achievements of Samuel Johnson's Dictionary of 1755 and The Oxford English Dictionary of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. He describes the differences between English and American usage and, through the example of Mark Twain, the link between regional dialect and race, class, and gender. Finally, he muses on the ways in which contact with foreign languages, popular culture, advertising, the Internet, and e-mail continue to shape English for future generations. Each concise chapter illuminates a moment of invention-a time when people discovered a new form of expression or changed the way they spoke or wrote. In conclusion, Lerer wonders whether globalization and technology have turned English into a world language and reflects on what has been preserved and what has been lost. A unique blend of historical and personal narrative, Inventing English is the surprising tale of a language that is as dynamic as the people to whom it belongs.

The book percolates with creative energy and will please anyone intrigued by how our richly variegated language came to bePublishers Weekly Nonspecialists will join scholars in praising this remarkable linguistic investigation. -- Bryce Christensen Booklist An important and valuable source for anyone who loves the English language, and language in general. -- Gale Zoe Garnett Toronto Globe & Mail Written with real authority, enthusiasm, and love for our unruly and exquisite language. -- Michael Dirda The Washington Post A wonderful book. It's not hard to find well-informed books about the history of the English language, and it's not hard to find good critical accounts of English literature, but to have the two intertwined in one book is remarkable. Language Hat Interesting and informative. -- Tom Oleson Winnipeg Free Press A personal, selective and impassioned journey through the history of English. Times Higher Education Supplement Lerer not only navigates the shifting currents and boiling rapids of English, but also explores its secret coves. -- Rob Kyff Advocate [An] elegant book. -- Karenn Krangle Vancouver Sun A fresh look at the history of the English language. -- Cynthia Lee Katona Magill Book Reviews Inventing English is an invigorating read for the mind and the mouth. Bloomsbury Review Fun and illuminating. -- Carol White The Main Artery This absorbing book provides sufficient information about linguistics and early English language and literature for clarification... Essential. Choice Erudite and accessible. [Lerer] brings both love and rigour to his subject. -- Gale Zoe Garnett Globe & Mail An unusual linguistic and literary feast. -- Anne Curzan Michigan Quarterly Review The casual, witty, and sometimes provocative style in which the book is written provides a very apt vehicle for this very personal account. -- Tim William Machan Journal of English and Germanic Philology

Seth Lerer is Distinguished Professor of Literature and the former Dean of Arts and Humanities at the University of California, San Diego. He is known nationally for his audio and videotape series, The History of the English Language, for the Teaching Company.

SKU	Non disponible
ISBN 13	9780231137942
ISBN 10	023113794X
Titre	Inventing English
Auteur	Seth Lerer
État	Non disponible
Type de reliure	Hardback
Éditeur	Columbia University Press
Année de publication	2007-04-10
Nombre de pages	320
Prix	Commended for Honorable Mention - PSP Awards for Excellence in Literature, Language, and Linguistics 2008
Note de couverture	La photo du livre est présentée à titre d'illustration uniquement. La reliure, la couverture ou l'édition réelle peuvent varier.
Note	Non disponible