Why Do Languages Change?
Published on 24. December 2009
Book
Hardback
210 pages
978-0-521-83802-3 (ISBN)
Description
The first recorded English name for the make-up we now call blusher was paint, in 1660. In the 1700s a new word, rouge, displaced paint, and remained in standard usage for around two centuries. Then, in 1965, an advertisement coined a new word for the product: blusher. Each generation speaks a little differently, and every language is constantly changing. It is not only words that change, every aspect of a language changes over time - pronunciation, word-meanings and grammar. Packed with fascinating examples of changes in the English language over time, this entertaining book explores the origin of words and place names, the differences between British and American English, and the apparent eccentricities of the English spelling system. Amusingly written yet deeply instructive, it will be enjoyed by anyone involved in studying the English language and its history, as well as anyone interested in how and why languages change.
Reviews / Votes
'Clear, sensible and stimulating ... a fine memorial to the late Larry Trask. This book deserves to succeed as a splendid introductory text for anyone interested in language change.' Jeremy J. Smith, University of Glasgow 'Trask's enthusiasm and learning are obvious ... will give its readers more enjoyment than many other volumes on the subject ...' The Times Literary SupplementMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
Cambridge
United Kingdom
Target group
College/higher education
Illustrations
11 Tables, unspecified; 8 Line drawings, unspecified
Dimensions
Height: 235 mm
Width: 157 mm
Thickness: 16 mm
Weight
465 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-521-83802-3 (9780521838023)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Larry Trask
Why Do Languages Change?
E-Book
06/2010
1st Edition
Cambridge University Press
€26.49
Available for download
Larry Trask
Why Do Languages Change?
Book
12/2009
Cambridge University Press
€48.60
Shipment within 15-20 days
Larry Trask
Why Do Languages Change?
E-Book
12/2009
1st Edition
Cambridge University Press
€23.49
Available for download
Person
R. L. Trask was a world authority on the Basque language and on historical linguistics. He wrote both academic and popular books, notably on grammar, punctuation, and English style and usage. His publications include Language: The Basics (1995) and Mind the Gaffe (2001). At the time of his death in 2004, he was Professor of Linguistics at the University of Sussex.
Content
1. How do languages change?; 2. Why are languages always changing?; 3. Where do words come from?; 4. Skunk-Leek - my kind of town: what's in a name?; 5. Where does English come from?; 6. Why is American English different from British English?; 7. Why is English spelling so eccentric?; 8. Which is the oldest language?