John Algeo is Professor Emeritus at the University of Georgia.

• 1. External history John Algeo; 2. British and American, continuity and divergence John Hurt Fisher; 3. British and Irish antecedents Michael Montgomery; 4. Contact with other languages Suzanne Romaine; 5. Americanisms Frederic G. Cassidy and Joan H. Hall; 6. Slang Jonathan Lighter; 7. Dialects Lee Pederson; 8. African-American English Salikoko Mufwene; 9. Grammatical structure Ronald R. Butters; 10. Spelling Richard Venezky; 11. Usage Edward Finegan; 12. Canadian English Laurel J. Brinton and Margery Fee; 13. Newfoundland English William Kirwin; 14. American English abroad Richard Bailey.

'The entire volume is written in a manner that makes the subject both interesting and attractive. The scholarship is there but is not in a form - so frequent in many linguistic works - that is incomprehensible to non-linguists. The contributors, editor and Cambridge University Press are all to be congratulated on another outstanding contribution to our understanding of what has become the world's language.' Contemporary Review

John Algeo is Professor Emeritus at the University of Georgia.

• 1. External history John Algeo; 2. British and American, continuity and divergence John Hurt Fisher; 3. British and Irish antecedents Michael Montgomery; 4. Contact with other languages Suzanne Romaine; 5. Americanisms Frederic G. Cassidy and Joan H. Hall; 6. Slang Jonathan Lighter; 7. Dialects Lee Pederson; 8. African-American English Salikoko Mufwene; 9. Grammatical structure Ronald R. Butters; 10. Spelling Richard Venezky; 11. Usage Edward Finegan; 12. Canadian English Laurel J. Brinton and Margery Fee; 13. Newfoundland English William Kirwin; 14. American English abroad Richard Bailey.

'The entire volume is written in a manner that makes the subject both interesting and attractive. The scholarship is there but is not in a form - so frequent in many linguistic works - that is incomprehensible to non-linguists. The contributors, editor and Cambridge University Press are all to be congratulated on another outstanding contribution to our understanding of what has become the world's language.' Contemporary Review

John Algeo is Professor Emeritus at the University of Georgia.

• 1. External history John Algeo; 2. British and American, continuity and divergence John Hurt Fisher; 3. British and Irish antecedents Michael Montgomery; 4. Contact with other languages Suzanne Romaine; 5. Americanisms Frederic G. Cassidy and Joan H. Hall; 6. Slang Jonathan Lighter; 7. Dialects Lee Pederson; 8. African-American English Salikoko Mufwene; 9. Grammatical structure Ronald R. Butters; 10. Spelling Richard Venezky; 11. Usage Edward Finegan; 12. Canadian English Laurel J. Brinton and Margery Fee; 13. Newfoundland English William Kirwin; 14. American English abroad Richard Bailey.

'The entire volume is written in a manner that makes the subject both interesting and attractive. The scholarship is there but is not in a form - so frequent in many linguistic works - that is incomprehensible to non-linguists. The contributors, editor and Cambridge University Press are all to be congratulated on another outstanding contribution to our understanding of what has become the world's language.' Contemporary Review