The English language

By Robert W. Burchfield

Book Overview

The English language, in its earliest period, was spoken by a few thousand people, most of whom were illiterate. Today, more than 300 million people speak and write English as their first language. In... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: B000QG0YCC
• Release Date: January 2006
• Publisher: Folio Society
• Length: 230 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.1" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Extremely informative book

Extremely informative brief introduction on the development of the English language, particularly emphasising its flexibility. For the most part, enjoyable read: there were parts where I felt my attention slip, and some hard slogs through some paragraphs, but all-in-all an entertaining, informative and thought-provoking [leaves you wanting more...] book. The Afterword -- which looks at what a language can tell us about its speakers, about culture, and furthermore how language is being studied and analysed today -- is well worth the read also.