Customer Reviews

Origins of the English Language

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Out of the sheer horror that someone recommended this book over Baugh and Cable's A History of the English Language and several other wonderful histories available, I find myself writing my first review. I was unlucky enough to have this book as an undergrad a number of years ago, and along with a general dislike of it that I've always carried, I specifically remember that the exercises were impenetrable. Now that I am getting a PhD in the history of the English language, I can safely say that I am achieving this goal despite this book. It is adequate in some ways but nowhere near as good as some of the other options. The only real bonus I can see is that the price is good.

Joseph Williams's Origins of the English Language: A Social & Linguistic History accurately highlights the history of the English language from the evolution of man clear through to Modern English that we speak today, providing enough knowledge for anyone to completely understand the origin of English. Intended for use as a textbook in college-level English history classes, Williams style is one that is conservative yet informative when he touches on many of the major aspects of the evolution of English, backing each up with references that make for a quite impressive bibliography with over 200 references. By reinforcing the facts that he mentions, Williams's style is one that is hard to misinterpret yet very informational and easy to follow. Some of this may be due, in part, to the assistance that Williams received from various university professors while writing this piece. Although at times Williams repeats his theories and arguments, he warns of this in his preface so that the reader is aware that this repetition is only to emphasize major points. Overall, I feel that this book is one of the most indepth yet comprehensible books on the history of the English language.