Now in paperback, in the tradition of E. H. Gombrich's A Little History of the World, a lively journey through the story of language With a language disappearing every two weeks and neologisms springi
Who formed and shaped the English language? David and Hilary Crystal take us on a journey through Britain to discover the people who gave our language its colour and character; Saxon invaders, medieva
From Homer ("winged words") to Robert Burns ("Beware a tongue that's smoothly hung") to Rudyard Kipling ("Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind"), writers from all over the worl
Wordsmiths and Warriors explores the heritage of English through the places in Britain that shaped it. It unites the warriors, whose invasions transformed the language, with the poets, scholars, refor
An authoritative, entertaining book about our accents, and what they say about usSome people say scohn, while others say schown. He says bath, while she says bahth. You say potayto. I say potahto And—
One of the world's foremost authorities on the English language, and the actor Ben Crystal, have taken a fresh look at the vocabulary of Shakespeare's poems and plays and compiled a glossary of nearly
The world's foremost expert on the English language takes us on an entertaining and eye-opening tour of the history of our vernacular through the ages.In The Story of English in 100 Words, an entertai
This is the definitive survey of the English language-in all its forms. Crystal writes accessibly about the structure of the language, the uses of English throughout the world, and finally he gives a
With a language disappearing every two weeks and neologisms springing up almost daily, an understanding of the origins and currency of language has never seemed more relevant. In this charming volume
In this book, David Crystal confronts the foe of many: grammar. Once taught relentlessly to all students in the English-speaking world, grammar disappeared from most school curricula, so that terms su
The acclaimed Cambridge Paperback Encyclopedia is now available in a new andexpanded edition. This Second Edition of the book has been fully revised,updated,supplemented,and redesigned, bringing it in
dabberlick [noun, Scotland] A mildly insulting way of talking about someone who is tall and skinny. 'Where's that dabberlick of a child?'fubsy [adjective, Lancashire] Plump, in a nice sort of way.squi
The endangerment and death of minority languages across the world is a matter of widespread concern. In this 2002 book, a leading commentator on language issues, David Crystal asks the question, 'Why
The world's?foremost expert on the English language takes us on an entertaining and eye-opening tour of?the history of our vernacular?through the ages.In The Story of English in 100 Words, an entertai
This dictionary is the first comprehensive description of Shakespearean original pronunication (OP), enabling practitioners to deal with any queries about the pronunciation of individual words. It inc
The rapid endangerment and death of many minority languages across the world is a matter of widespread concern, not only among linguists and anthropologists but among all concerned with issues of cultural identity in an increasingly globalized culture. By some counts, only 600 of the 6,000 or so languages in the world are 'safe' from the threat of extinction. A leading commentator and popular writer on language issues, David Crystal asks the fundamental question, 'why is language death so important?', reviews the reasons for the current crisis, and investigates what is being done to reduce its impact. This book contains not only intelligent argument, but moving descriptions of the decline and demise of particular languages, and practical advice for anyone interested in pursuing the subject further.
