A History of the English Language

Reviews / Votes

'... will keep you occupied for days.' Writer's Forum 'This book is peerless, presenting up-to-date scholarship written by leaders in the field'. Journal of English Linguistics '... firmly grounded in the scholarship and methodology of the magisterial six-volume Cambridge History of the English Language ... answer[s] the need for a history of English that is up-to-date, culturally sensitive, detailed and rigorous ... convey[s] some of the lustre, excitement and agony of the past.' New Statesman 'The layout, style and range of this collection will make it an invaluable point of reference as well as an introduction.' Contemporary Review 'The contributors are leading figures in their field and they all write as leading figures should. Quite a few histories of English are available, but this really is the best pound-for-pound contender out there.' The Times Higher Education Supplement 'A History of the English Language treats the subject in a series of nine chapter-length essays by outstanding scholars in the field. ... Among the book's many strengths is the sustained effort of its authors to qualify certain pieties about the English language (such as Middle English's status as the 'dialectal phase' of English) while acknowledging the importance of such generalizations to scholars. ... Another strength of the text is its organizational design, which is intended to engage students in a focused study of the diachronic changes of English's internal features. ... this book could be used in a wide range of college and graduate-level courses.' American Speech '... strikingly useful for the scholar ... fascinating to read.' Cercles