Our magnificent bastard tongue the untold history of English
By: John McWhorter.
Publisher: Gotham Books
Published: 2008
Place of publication: New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 230
ISBN-13: 9781592403950
Subjects: English language -- History; English language -- Etymology; English language -- Foreign elements; English language -- Foreign words and phrases; Languages in contact
Description: Why 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, author McWhorter distills hundreds of years of lore into one lively history. Covering 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, and drawing on genetic and linguistic research as well as a cache of trivia about the origins of English words and syntax patterns, McWhorter ultimately 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 have been waiting for.--From publisher description.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references.
Table of contents: title: We speak a miscegenated grammar; title: A lesson from the Celtic impact; title: We speak a battered grammar; title: Does our grammar channel our thought?; title: Skeletons in the closet.