Damp Squid by Butterfield

Damp Squid by Butterfield

Using evidence provided by the world's largest language databank, the Oxford English Corpus, Butterfield uncovers fascinating facts about the English language. Where does our vocabulary come from? How do word meanings change? How is our language really being used? This entertaining book has the up-to-date and authoritative answers to all the key questions about our language. With over 2 billion words contained in the Oxford English Corpus, Butterfield takes a thorough look at the English language and exposes its peculiarities and penchants, its development and difficulties, revealing exactly how it operates. Interpolating his expert knowledge of dictionary-making, Butterfield explains how dictionaries decide which words to include, how they find definitions, and how a Corpus influences the process. Covering all areas of English, from spelling and speech to idioms and idiosyncrasies, including a thoughtful chapter about the future of English, and with entertaining examples and useful charts throughout, this compelling and lively book contains something for everyone.

`This book will be irresistible to those who would really like to find out how the English language is behavingClearly written and informative, it is a lively guide to that most creative and challenging language, English.' Alexander McCall Smith

Jeremy Butterfield

Jeremy Butterfield is a freelance lexicographer, language expert and writer, and an OUP author. For many years he worked in senior editorial positions in Collins English and Bilingual Dictionaries. He is also the author of the popular book on the English language, Damp Squid: The English Language
Laid Bare.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780199239061
ISBN 10	0199239061
Title	Damp Squid
Author	Butterfield
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	Oxford University Press
Year published	2008-12-09
Number of pages	176
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.