An Historical Study of English

Function, Form and Change

By: Jeremy Smith

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Hardcover | 17 October 1996 | Edition Number 1

At a Glance

Hardcover
244 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
23.39 x 15.6 x 1.42

Hardcover

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Through his analysis of selected major developments in the history of English, Jeremy Smith argues that the history of the language can only be understood from a dynamic perspective. In this book, he proposes that internal linguistic mechanisms for language change cannot be meaningfully explained in isolation or without reference to external linguistic factors.
Smith provides the reader with an accessible synthesis of recent developments in English historical linguistics. His book looks at the theory and methodology of linguistic historiography; considers the major changes in writing systems, pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary; provides examples of these changes, such as the standardisation of spellings and accent, and the origins of the Great Vowel Shift; and focuses on the origins of two non-standard varieties: eighteenth-century Scots and twentieth-century British Black English.
This book will be fascinating reading to students of English historical linguistics, and will make an original, important and, above all, lively contribution to the field.

Industry Reviews

"[Smith] has interesting things to say."-"Journal of English and Germanic Philology "The text is an insightful survey of some of the problems which characterize the various stages of English. Readers will appreciate the elegance of Smith's agrument...."-"IJGLSA Fall 1999 "Smith aimed to demonstrate that the history of the English language can be exciting and stimulating, and he was indeed successful. I highly recommend this textbook for adoption in appropriate courses."-"Language, 1998 ""An Historical Study of English breaks new ground in the historical study of the English language. In an impressive display of erudition and expertise, and using insights from sociolinguistics, pragmatics and historical linguistics, Jeremy Smith explores an array of topics in the history of English, ranging from the interpretation of medieval texts to present-day Black English in Britain."-James Milroy, Program in Linguistics, University of Michigan

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You Can Find This Book In

Non-Fiction Language & Linguistics Language Learning & Teaching Language Teaching & Learning Material & Coursework Grammar, Vocabulary & Pronunciation Linguistics Historical & Comparative Linguistics Reference, Dictionaries & Guides

Preface	p. x
Acknowledgements	p. xiii
Symbols and Signs, Mainly Phonetic	p. xvi
	p. 1
Introduction	p. 3
On Evidence	p. 13
Linguistic Evolution	p. 39
	p. 53
Transmission I: Change in Writing-System	p. 55
Transmission Ii: Sound-Change	p. 79
Change in the Lexicon	p. 112
Grammatical Change	p. 141
	p. 163
Two Varieties in Context	p. 165
Conclusion	p. 194
Notes	p. 197
Suggestions for Further Reading	p. 201
References	p. 207
Index	p. 216
Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.

An Historical Study of English

Function, Form and Change

At a Glance

Hardcover

Industry Reviews

Shipping

How to return your order

Defective items

You Can Find This Book In

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