Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue
By:John McWhorter
Published on 2008-10-30 by Penguin
A survey of the quirks and quandaries of the English language, focusing on our strange and wonderful grammar Why do we say “I am reading a catalog” instead of “I read a catalog”? Why do we say “do” at all? Is the way we speak a reflection of our cultural values? Delving into these provocative topics and more, Our Magnificent Bastard Language distills hundreds of years of fascinating lore into one lively history. Covering such turning points as the little-known Celtic and Welsh influences on English, the impact of the Viking raids and the Norman Conquest, and the Germanic invasions that started it all during the fifth century ad, John McWhorter narrates this colorful evolution with vigor. Drawing on revolutionary genetic and linguistic research as well as a cache of remarkable trivia about the origins of English words and syntax patterns, Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue ultimately demonstrates the arbitrary, maddening nature of English— and its ironic simplicity due to its role as a streamlined lingua franca during the early formation of Britain. This is the book that language aficionados worldwide have been waiting for (and no, it’s not a sin to end a sentence with a preposition).
This Book was ranked at 40 by Google Books for keyword Loans.
Book ID of Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue's Books is UGOMfGDT3KkC, Book which was written byJohn McWhorterhave ETAG "vFhnWQnFgmg"
Book which was published by Penguin since 2008-10-30 have ISBNs, ISBN 13 Code is 9781440634048 and ISBN 10 Code is 1440634041
Reading Mode in Text Status is true and Reading Mode in Image Status is false
Book which have "256 Pages" is Printed at BOOK under CategoryLanguage Arts and Disciplines
This Book was rated by 15 Raters and have average rate at "4.0"
This eBook Maturity (Adult Book) status is NOT_MATURE
Book was written in en
eBook Version Availability Status at PDF is falseand in ePub is true
0 Response to "Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue"
Post a Comment