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Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide.

Print Price: $149.99

Format:
Paperback
640 pp.
60 figures; 14 photos; 64 tables; 9 maps, 7" x 9"

ISBN-13:
9780199019151

Copyright Year:
2017

Imprint: OUP Canada


The English Language

A Linguistic History, Third Edition

Laurel J. Brinton and Leslie K. Arnovick

The English Language is an essential survey of the development of the language from its Indo-European past to the present day. Now in a third edition, this text offers enhanced discussion of the socio-historical and cultural contexts of the English language, new approaches to the history of English, and an anthology of specimen texts from the four major periods of English: Old, Middle, Early Modern, and Modern.

Readership : The English Language: A Linguistic History is a core text for upper-level courses on the history of the English language in the English or linguistics department at universities.

Reviews

  • "The English Language is particularly good at the phonological history of the language from IE forward. . . . [it] covers very well the history of morphological and syntactic change in English. . . . The amount of detail in formal description on the IE and General Germanic periods is very satisfying, and I don't know of any parallel in alternative textbooks. At the other end of the timeline, the amount of detail and the accuracy in the treatment of Canadian varieties of English is also very satisfying, and, again, I don't know of any parallel in alternative textbooks."
    --Michael Cummings, York University

  • "Brinton and Arnovick is based on sound and up-to-date linguistic scholarship, frequently cited directly in the text, which inspires confidence. . . . Very readable and engaging."
    --Murray McGillivray, University of Calgary

  • From previous editions:
    "The book is well-organized and clear . . . without assuming a lot of knowledge on the part of students."
    --Richard J. Moll, University of Western Ontario

  • "Brinton and Arnovick's book is, I think, the best textbook in its field."
    --John Considine, University of Alberta

Preface
Abbreviations
1. Studying the History of English
Why Study the History of English?
A Definition of Language
The Components of Language
Linguistic Change in English
The Nature of Linguistic Change
The Origin of Language
Attitudes toward Linguistic Change
Resources for Studying the History of English
2. Sounds and Sound Change in English
The Sounds of English
Sound Change
The Writing of English
3. Causes and Mechanisms of Language Change
Causes of Change
Morphological and Syntactic Change
Semantic Change
Pragmatic Change
4. The Indo-European Language Family and Proto-Indo-European
Classification of Languages
Language Families
The Indo-European Language Family
Proto-Language
Reconstruction
Proto-Indo-European
5. Germanic and the Development of Old English
Proto-Germanic
Grammatical and Lexical Changes from PIE to Germanic
Phonological Changes from PIE to Germanic
A Brief History of Anglo-Saxon England
The Records of the Anglo-Saxons
6. The Words and Sounds of Old English
The Word Stock of the Anglo-Saxons
The Orthographic System of Old English
The Phonological System of Old English
Stress
A Closer Look at the Language of an Old English Text
7. The Grammar of Old English
The Nominal System
The Verbal System
Syntax
A Closer Look at the Language of an Old English Text
8. The Rise of Middle English: Words and Sounds
French and English in Medieval England
The Word Stock of Middle English
The Written Records of Middle English
Orthographic Changes
Consonant Changes
Vowel Changes
A Closer Look at the Language of a Middle English Text
9. The Grammar of Middle English and Rise of a Written Standard
The Effects of Vowel Reduction
Grammatical Developments in Middle English
Comparison of a Middle English and an Old English Text
Change from Synthetic to Analytic
Middle English as a Creole?
The Rise of a Standard Dialect
A Closer Look at the Language of a Middle English Text
10. The Words, Sounds, and Inflections of Early Modern English
Early Modern English Vocabulary
The Great Vowel Shift
Changes in the Short Vowels and Diphthongs
A Closer Look at the Language of an Early Modern English Text
Changes in Consonants
Renaissance Respellings
Changes in Nominal Inflected Forms
Case Usage
Changes in Verbal Inflected Forms
A Closer Look at the Language of an Early Modern English Text
11. Early Modern English Verbal Constructions and Eighteenth-Century Prescriptivism
Early Modern English Syntax
Late Modern English and the Rise of Prescriptivism
Aims of the Eighteenth-Century Grammarians
Methods of the Eighteenth-Century Grammarians
The Question of Usage
Dictionaries
12. Modern English
Grammatical and Lexical Changes in Late Modern English
Changes in Progress
The Effect of New Media on English
13. Varieties of English
The Development of National Varieties
Important Regional Varieties of the British Isles
English as a Global Language
Appendix A: Quick Reference Guide
Appendix B: Timeline of Significant Historical, Social, Literary, and Linguistic Events in the History of English
Appendix C: Anthology of Readings (NEW)
Exercise Key
Glossary of Linguistic Terms
Works Cited
Index

Instructor's Resources:
Sample syllabi
- Full-year
- 16-week
- 10-week: general, medieval, modern
Student Resources:
Tutorials on using OED online
List of recommended websites, readings, blogs, and videos
Self-test exercises with answers
16 audio recordings of Old, Middle, and Early Modern English literary texts
E-Book (ISBN 9780199019168)

Laurel J. Brinton specializes in English language studies, with particular interest in grammaticalization and historical pragmatics. She received her Ph.D. from the University of California. In addition to co-authoring The English Language: A Linguistic History, she has co-edited the two-volume English Historical Linguistics: An International Handbook (Mouton) and is the co-editor of English Language and Linguistics (Cambridge University Press).

Leslie K. Arnovick specializes in English language studies, with particular interest in historical pragmatics. She received her Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley. In addition to co-authoring The English Language: A Linguistic History, she has also written several monographs profiling Medieval English and diachronic pragmatics.

Making Sense - Margot Northey
The Oxford History of English - Edited by Lynda Mugglestone

Special Features

  • Unique Canadian perspective with discussion of the Canadian vernacular, maps of regional dialects, and comparative coverage of Canadian and international usage.
  • Traces the development of the language through each of its four major periods while revealing unexpected etymologies from foreign languages.
  • Rooted in formal linguistics - covering phonology, morphology, syntax, orthography, semantics, and lexicon - yet written in a clear, accessible style for students with no linguistics or language background.
  • Highly praised in-text exercises challenge students' mastery of topics, helping them to retain what they have learned.
  • Offers up-to-date information and examples, along with an in-depth analysis of the continuing evolution of the English language in contemporary North America.
  • Examples from canonical works such as the Exeter Book, Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, and Shakespeare's sonnets and plays provide students with textual excerpts from major periods.
  • Extensive coverage of the principles of language change - including more recent approaches such as historical pragmatics and historical sociolinguistics - helps students understand why and how languages change.
  • Quick Reference Guide summarizes the different periods of English; vowels and consonants of each period; morphology and syntax; and International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) symbols from the text. (Appendix A)
  • Timeline of Historical, Literary, and Linguistic Events in the History of English appendix helps students contextualize the development of the language in relation to these key fields. (Appendix B)
  • Coverage of computer-mediated communications examines the implications of different forms of digital communication, such as text messaging, on the evolution of the language.
  • Numerous figures, tables, images, and maps throughout engage students in the material.
New to this Edition
  • Brief timelines of major historical events at the beginning of relevant chapters supplement the comprehensive timeline. (Appendix B)
  • Language in Context feature in each chapter provides engaging socio-historical and cultural examples.
  • Appendix of readings, containing 12 selections from Old, Middle, Early Modern, and Late Modern English - including plays, letters, diaries, trial transcripts, sermons, and charms - provides students with examples of "everyday English." (Appendix C)
  • Link to Recommended Resources at the end of each chapter directs students to up-to-date lists of recommended readings, videos, and websites, ensuring students have the most current information available.
  • New and updated coverage including second-language varieties of English, Canadian Englishes, and English as a global language. (Ch. 13)