History of English

Dan McIntyre is Professor of English Language and Linguistics at the University of Huddersfield, UK.

• CONTENTSTablesFiguresCommon abbreviationsPhonetic symbolsAcknowledgementsHow to use this bookSECTION A: INTRODUCTIONAn external history of EnglishA1 Origins of EnglishA2 The history of English or the history of Englishes?A3 Language contact in the Middle AgesA4 From Middle English to Early Modern EnglishA5 The process of standardisationA6 Colonialism, Imperialism and the spread of EnglishA7 Moves towards Present Day EnglishA8 Global English and beyondSECTION B: DEVELOPMENTA developing languageB1 Understanding Old EnglishB2 Varieties of Old EnglishB3 The emergence of Middle EnglishB4 Sound shiftsB5 Writing in Early Modern EnglishB6 The development of American EnglishB7 International EnglishB8 The globalisation of EnglishSECTION C: EXPLORATIONExploring the history of EnglishC1 The roots of EnglishC2 Regions and dialectsC3 From Old English to Middle EnglishC4 Codification and attitudes towards EnglishC5 Further elements of grammar in Early Modern EnglishC6 English in the New WorldC7 Present Day EnglishesC8 The future of EnglishSECTION D: EXTENSION Readings in the history of EnglishD1 Vocabulary and meaning in Old EnglishD2 Changes in grammatical genderD3 Medieval multilingualismD4 Shifting soundsD5 The development of a written standardD6 The beginnings of global EnglishD7 Studying recent change in EnglishD8 English in the futureCommentary on activitiesGlossary of linguistic termsFurther readingGeneral histories of EnglishOld EnglishMiddle EnglishEarly Modern English Eighteenth-century English to the present dayWorld EnglishesTimeline of external events in the history of EnglishReferencesIndex

'Offering a lively and detailed account of the history of the English language from its origins to the present-day, informed by the latest linguistic theory, Dan McIntyre's History of English is an excellent introduction to the subject. Engaging with contemporary debates and with the language in all its fascinating variety, this book is an essential resource for students, teachers and all lovers of language.'Simon Horobin, Magdalen College, University of Oxford'This is a highly accessible and comprehensive textbook on the history of the English language. It allows students to explore all the major aspects of linguistic development in clearly related consecutive stages. Clearly, it is essential reading for university courses on the history of English and highly to be recommended.'Thomas Kohnen, The University of Cologne