Evolving English: One Language, Many Voices David Crystal

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

One-third of the world's population can speak or write in English, which is an unprecedented achievement for a language. How did this enormous reach come about? And what happens to a language when it is used by so many? In Evolving English , David Crystal, the leading authority on the development of the English language, answers these questions and more.

Unlike other histories of the English language, Evolving English is a fully illustrated history, charting the development of the language through images, from the earliest runic inscriptions in Old English and the emergence of a standard variety of English between 1400 and 1800 to the most modern forms of the language, as seen in concrete and text poetry. In telling the story of the language's growth and change, Crystal draws on examples from English in its various guises and uses--including everyday English, English in the workplace, regional and international varieties, and English in playful and literary expression.

Crystal's accessible and lively linguistic history shows where language is now, where it has been, and--perhaps most important of all--where it is heading. Crystal is not afraid to address the new varieties of the language appearing in world literature, on the Internet, and in cell phone text messages. Both topical and readable, Evolving English shows that the story of the world's most common language is as diverse and interesting as those words that comprise it.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

CHOICE Review

Perhaps the world's most prolific authority on English language and linguistics, Crystal is one of only a few scholars who can make difficult subjects accessible to a wide audience. He has written or edited scores of books over the last two decades, including six designated by Choice as Outstanding Academic Titles--most recently, Txtng (CH, Mar'09, 46-3673), 'Think on My Words' (CH, Aug'08, 45-6610), The Fight for English (CH, Oct'07, 45-0696), and The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language (2nd ed., CH, Feb'04, 41-3145). Crystal divides the present volume into seven topical chapters. These treat, respectively, the historical development of English from Old English to modern; the development of a standard language from Chaucer to the BBC; everyday speech, starting with the 11th-century Colloquy of Aelfric; English in the workplace; English "at play"; "accents and dialects"; and English beyond the British Isles. A companion to the British Library exhibition of the same name, the book includes some 150 images from the British Library's collections along with transcripts and glosses. Although the book would be most useful in electronic format, the print edition will be an excellent addition to any library's holdings on English language history. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readers. A. P. Church Dickinson State University