The Origins and Development of the English LanguageThe focus on this 3rd ed., as in the previous, remains on the internal history of English, theoretical implications and purely external history are purposely kept to a minimum. As in the earlier editions, too, the treatment is descriptive and traditional so that students with no prior study of linguistics or of languages will find this text accessible. |
Contents
An Introduction | 1 |
The Sounds and Spelling of Current English | 25 |
The Backgrounds of English | 64 |
Copyright | |
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Common terms and phrases
adjectives adverbs American English American Speech bearn became borrowed British English called Celtic century cited cognate consonant dative declension dialects Dictionary diphthongs distinct doubtless earlier early Modern English ending England English language English words example frequently fricative genitive singular Germanic languages Gothic Grammar Greek High German indicated Indo-European languages inflectional initial instance later Latin linguistic loanwords lost masculine meaning Middle English Middle English period Midland morphemes mutation neuter nominative nominative-accusative nominative-accusative plural nouns occur Old English Old French older origin past participle person singular phonetic plural forms preterit pronounced pronunciation Proto-Germanic Proto-Indo-European Roman Sanskrit Scandinavian Semitic shift sometimes sound Spanish speakers spelling standard British English stress strong verbs suffix survived syllable symbols term Tocharian ultimately unstressed usage usually variant velar Verner's Law voiceless vowel weak verbs West Saxon word stock writing written