A History of the English Language [Paperback]

Albert C. Baugh (Author), Thomas Cable (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 21, 2002 | ISBN-10: 0415280990 | ISBN-13: 978-0415280990 | Edition: 5

Praise for the fifth edition:

'The fifth edition of A History of the English Language will continue to be the standard reference work on the history of English.'

Peter Erdmann, Technische University, Berlin, Germany

'Baugh and Cable's classic is still an absolute must for everyone interested in the development of English in its socio-historical context. Revised and updated, this edition continues to provide an engagin biography of a living and dynamic language.'

Ishtla Singh, Kings College, London, UK

 

A History of the English Language is a comprehensive exploration of the linguistic and cultural development of English, from the Middle Ages to the present day. Revised and updated, the fifth edition continues to provide students with a balanced and up-to-date overview of the subject. The new edition includes:

• A revised first chapter, 'English present and future'
• A new section on gender issues and linguistic change
• Updated material on African-American vernacular English.

Albert C.Baugh was Schelling Memorial Professor at the University of Pennsylvania.

Thomas Cable is Jane and Roland Blumberg Centennial Professor of English at the University of Texas at Austin.

 

 

Editorial Reviews

Review

'A scholarly book that is a model of clarity and quite the best history of English obtainable in one volume.' - The Irish Times

From the Publisher

A classic comprehensive and balanced exploration of the history of the English language -- from the Middle Ages to the present -- that combines internal linguistic history and external cultural history. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 464 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; 5 edition (March 21, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0415280990
• ISBN-13: 978-0415280990
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #379,036 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent History, April 23, 2006

By 

Richard Webner (Evanston, IL, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A History of the English Language (Paperback)

I bought "A History of the English Language" looking for a dependable history of the English language that could be read by a beginner in Linguistics. In this book I found exactly what I wanted.

"A History" presents English's long, complicated development in a fascinating and accessible way. Although the text is dense and somewhat slow, it is never boring. The writers are clearly very passionate about the subject, and although the book is fifty years old it is well-updated, including a new chapter on African-American English.

In fact, few books have taught me more than "A History." England's numerous migrations and occupations, by the Romans, the Normans, the Scandinavians, and the French, shaped the language, so I learned much about England's own history. I found the first chapter, about the Indo-European language and its influence, especially edifying. "A History" also briefs you on the European intellectual movements that influenced English. In explaining English's development, Baugh and Cable acquaint the reader with many linguistic terms and theories.

This readable, informative, comprehensive history of English is highly recommended.

23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Most Interesting Book!, July 2, 2006

By 

Nick (Switzerland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A History of the English Language (Paperback)

For anyone interested in the English language, and anyone curious about it, I strongly recommend this major book. Of course, get the latest edition, mine is the fifth, that is the 2002 edition.

As to the book itself, it's a most complete study of English. It does a wonderful job of explaining the development in history of the language and it willl undoubtedly shed so much light on your understanding of English that it's really worth a peek. That book will make clear most of the strangeness of English; if you ever wondered about "irregular" verbs--as most non-native do--you will find the answer in this book. And there's more than just English alone, the book also deals with Indo-European and tells a lot about tons of other things that make the whole thing--the development of languages--much clearer to the reader.

That is the book most used by universities as far as the history of English is concerned. You don't need to be a specialised linguist to read it, by the way; even though, due to the extreme preciseness of the work, you may not remember most of the details put in there. I'm thinking mostly of historical details and such, but that shouldn't worry you, just know it's very well documented.

The book is divided into sections, most of which are chronologically placed, although not all; there's for instance a section about English in America.

That's about it for my review of this great book. The best thing you can do is check it for yourself, but I strongly recommend it. Even if you have no specific interest in linguistics and stuff, you'll still get a lot of enjoyement from reading this book, if only because you speak English. It's gonna be a hoot for you I assure. Go for it!

38 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Comprehensive Read, June 7, 2001

By 

B. R. Cook (Buffalo Grove, Illinois USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: History of the English Language, A (Hardcover)

I,like another reviewer, read this book over 20 years ago for a college class when I was a major in Linguistics. I was so enthralled with it, that it still graces my library shelves today. The cultural and social impact which brought change and foreign languages into English was just fascinating and very well written. I highly recommend this book.