A Cultural History of the English Language (The English Language Series)

This book offers a new approach to the history of English. Contemporary linguistic research in various areas - ranging from discourse analysis and stylistics to literacy and the study of pidgins and creoles - raises new historical questions. Access to large corpora of English has in recent years enabled scholars to assess the minutiae of linguistic change in much greater detail than before, and consequently the timing and interpretation of events is having to be reconsidered. Furthermore, the focus of interest in a history of the language is rather different in the 1990s than it was a decade and more ago, and this book reflects this shift. The author does not make a direct attempt to chronicle changes in syntax or pronunciation and spelling, but the book is designed to complement a corpus-based study of formal changes. It also traces change in the language on a broader front and in its social and cultural context. The story of English is brought up to the late 1990s to include, amongst other things, discussions of Estuary English and the implications of the information superhighway. This book presents a new interpretation of the history of English. Access to large corpuses of English has allowed scholars to assess the minutiae of linguistic change with much greater precision than before, often pinpointing the beginnings of linguistic innovations in place and time. The author uses the findings from this research to relate major historical events to change in the language, in particular to areas of linguistic inquiry that have been of particular importance in recent years, such as discourse analysis, stylistics and work on pidgins and creoles. The book does not attempt to chronicle changes in syntax or pronunciation and spelling, but is designed to complement a corpus-based study of formal changes. The story of English is brought up to the late 1990s to include, amongst other things, discussions of Estuary English and the implications of the information superhighway.

This book presents a new interpretation of the history of English. Access to large corpuses of English has allowed scholars to assess the minutiae of linguistic change with much greater precision than before, often pinpointing the beginnings of linguistic innovations in place and time. The author uses the findings from this research to relate major historical events to change in the language, in particular to areas of linguistic inquiry that have been of particular importance in recent years, such as discourse analysis, stylistics and work on pidgins and creoles.

This book presents a history of English written from the perspective of sociolinguistics and discourse analysis, relating changes in the language to major social events and cultural changes and at the same time providing a framework for research