The History of English: A Linguistic IntroductionThe History of English: A Linguistic Introduction is for anyone interested in the history of the English language. While leading the reader through the pre-history of English, through Germanic times, Old English, Middle English, Early Modern English, and Modern English, the book also introduces the reader to concepts in theoretical and historical linguistics. It includes authentic texts from each period of the language, from Beowulf to the King James Bible. This book is a great introduction to the field of linguistics for anyone interested in language! |
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Common terms and phrases
adjective alphabet andthe AngloSaxons asthe atthe became called chapter Chaucer common conjugation counterparts declension definite article dialects diphthongs Early Modern English England eventually example forms French fromthe fusional language gender German Consonant Shift Germanic daughter languages Germanic languages Gothic grammatical grammatical gender High German Consonant Indo IndoEuropean infinitive inflectional endings influence inMiddle inOld inthe isthe itis Latin letters linguists long vowels Lord’s Prayer masculine meaning Middle English Middle English period Modern German modernday Norman noun ofthe Old English Old English period Old Frisian Old High German Old Low Franconian Old Norse Old Saxon original periphrastic person singular personal pronouns phoneme poem present participle preterite pronounced pronunciation reconstructed Sample Texts schwa sentence Shakespeare shows simply speakers spelling spoken subjunctive suchas superlative syllable tense th century third person thou tothe translation verb Vikings voiced voiceless vowel sounds West Germanic West Germanic languages withthe word written