In Latin Alive, Joseph Solodow tells the story of how Latin developed into modern French, Spanish, and Italian, and deeply affected English as well. Offering a gripping narrative of language change, Solodow charts Latin's course from classical times to the modern era, with focus on the first millennium of the Common Era. Though the Romance languages evolved directly from Latin, Solodow shows how every important feature of Latin's evolution is also reflected in English. His story includes scores of intriguing etymologies, along with many concrete examples of texts, studies, scholars, anecdotes, and historical events; observations on language; and more. Written with crystalline clarity, this is the first book to tell the story of the Romance languages for the general reader and to illustrate so amply Latin's many-sided survival in English as well.
Latin Alive
and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle.
Learn more
FREE Two-Day Shipping for students on millions of items. Learn more |
| ||||||||||||||||||||
 Sell Back Your Copy for $7.30
Whether you buy it used on Amazon for $9.90 or somewhere else, you can sell it back through our Book Trade-In Program at the current price of $7.30.
Used Price$9.90
Trade-in Price$7.30
Price after
Trade-in$2.60 |
Book Description
Special Offers and Product Promotions
- Buy $50 in qualifying physical textbooks, get $5 in Amazon MP3 Credit. Here's how (restrictions apply)
Frequently Bought Together
Editorial Reviews
Review
"Joseph Solodow, lecturer in Classics at Yale, joins the expanding ranks of scholars writing accessible histories of Latin, with his Latin Alive...the readers will be attracted by the mixture of perspectives, and the majority of readers will learn details they had not realized before....We can all read it with pleasure. " --BMCR
Book Description
In Latin Alive, Joseph Solodow tells the story of how Latin developed into modern French, Spanish, and Italian, and deeply affected English as well. Offering a gripping narrative of language change, Solodow charts Latin's course from classical times to the modern era, with particular focus on the first millennium of the Common Era. His story includes scores of intriguing etymologies, along with many concrete examples of texts, studies, scholars, anecdotes, and historical events; observations on language; and more.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
a perfect book!,
By CSK (New Haven, CT, USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Latin Alive: The Survival of Latin in English and the Romance Languages (Paperback)
A great way to learn about etymology and the power of words, all wrapped up in engaging prose detailing the history of Latin after it turned into the Romance languages. Highly recommended for interested readers and students of the subject, alike.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
splendid book,
By Bart "language lover" (New York City USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Latin Alive: The Survival of Latin in English and the Romance Languages (Paperback)
This is a splendid book: beautifully written, erudite without being at all pendantic, and simply illuminating. It is a pleasure to read. It makes clear the rich variety of linguistic associations and changes that linked yet differentiated Latin, French, Spanish, and English; the book makes you understand and appreciate the living process of linguistic evolution in which we all participate. I've read many books on the history of English, French, and Latin, yet Solodow's work still provided many welcome new delightful factual tidbits as well as deeper insights. If you have any interest in language or history at all, read this book. It is not only fascinating, it is a charming and absorbing read.
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Something for All,
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Latin Alive: The Survival of Latin in English and the Romance Languages (Paperback)
Whether an introduction to linguistics, a refresher, or a reference, this book renders the intricacies of Latin's evolution with such clarity, such grace, and such attention to detail that I cannot imagine any work ever surpassing it. The book includes a general explanation of Latin's origins in Indo-European, provides a cursory examination of the Latin language itself and it's speakers' history, and finally explores the multifaceted relationship between Latin, the Romance languages, and English. There is no want for context, yet readers of all knowledge-levels will find that they are well served, neither bored nor left behind. Solodow has a gift for lucid explanations, and his mastery of the subject is evident from the start, but what makes this book particularly enjoyable - even for those who may not feel especially passionate about etymologies or Latin roots - is Solodow's charming sense of humor and the obvious care with which this book was researched and written. This is a veritable gift to the classics community, and a gem for anyone with an interest in language.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
Inside This Book
(learn more)
Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
|
|
