Old English and its Closest Relatives

Old English and its Closest Relatives PDF Author: Orrin W. Robinson
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1134848994
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 218

Book Description
This accessible introductory reference source surveys the linguistic and cultural background of the earliest known Germanic languages and examines their similarities and differences. The Languages covered include:Gothic Old Norse Old SaxonOld English Old Low Franconian Old High German Written in a lively style, each chapter opens with a brief cultural history of the people who used the language, followed by selected authentic and translated texts and an examination of particular areas including grammar, pronunciation, lexis, dialect variation and borrowing, textual transmission, analogy and drift.

Old English and Its Closest Relatives

Old English and Its Closest Relatives PDF Author: Orrin W. Robinson
Publisher: Stanford University Press
ISBN: 9780804722216
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 308

Book Description
The author surveys the linguistic and cultural backgrounds of the earliest known Germanic languages, members of what has traditionally been known as the English family tree: Gothic, Old Norse, Old Saxon, Old English, Old Frisian, Old Low Franconian, and Old High German.

Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue

Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue PDF Author: John McWhorter
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1592404944
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 258

Book Description
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).

On the Origin of Languages

On the Origin of Languages PDF Author: Merritt Ruhlen
Publisher: Stanford University Press
ISBN: 9780804728058
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 364

Book Description
Arguing that the prevailing conception of historical linguistics is flawed, the author presents a series of linguistic studies which demonstrate that all extant human languages share a common origin.

A Comparative Germanic Grammar

A Comparative Germanic Grammar PDF Author: Eduard Prokosch
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781258819606
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 356

Book Description
Additional Editors Are Franklin Edgerton, Edgar H. Sturtevant, Hans Sperber, W. F. Twaddell And Edward Sapir.

Latin and the Romance Languages in the Middle Ages

Latin and the Romance Languages in the Middle Ages PDF Author: Roger Wright
Publisher: Penn State Press
ISBN: 0271044667
Category : Foreign Language Study
Languages : en
Pages : 277

Book Description
This book makes available for the first time in paperback the results of an important interdisciplinary conference held at Rutgers University in 1989. Eighteen internationally known specialists in linguistics, history, philology, Latin, and Romance languages tackle the difficult question of how and when Latin evolved into the Romance languages of French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and Catalan. The result is a stimulating and open exchange that offers the most up-to-date and accessible coverage of the topic. Contributors are Paul M. Lloyd, Tore Janson, J&ózsef Herman, Alberto Varvaro, Thomas D. Cravens, Harm Pinkster, John N. Green, Roger Wright, Marc Van Uytfanghe, Rosamond McKitterick, Katrien Heene, Michel Banniard, Birte Stengaard, Carmen Pensado, Thomas J. Walsh, Robert Blake, Ant&ónio Emiliano, and Marcel Danesi.

Introduction to Old English

Introduction to Old English PDF Author: Richard Hogg
Publisher: Edinburgh University Press
ISBN: 0748654313
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 174

Book Description
A student's introduction to the first centuries in the history of the English language. The first edition of "e;An Introduction to Old English"e; was written by Richard Hogg. The second edition has been revised by Rhona Alcorn. Combining a wide variety of short texts with a coherent and up-to-date assessment of the forms of language which remain as the foundation of English today, this introduction offers a unique study of Old English in context. It is designed for students unfamiliar with the earliest stages of the English language and provides a basis for further study of the history of the language to the present day. All the basic elements of Old English are covered, including nouns, adjectives, verbs, syntax, word order, vocabulary and sound values. Wherever possible comparisons are drawn between Old English and the present-day language, but also with other related languages such as Dutch, German and French. There are also chapters introducing Old English poetry and dialect variation, as well as a chapter looking at what happened to the language after the Norman Conquest.

Word-hoard

Word-hoard PDF Author: Stephen A. Barney
Publisher: Yale Language Series
ISBN: 9780300035063
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 79

Book Description
Designed for introductory courses in Old English, Word-Hoard offers a vocabulary of some 2000 words drawn from the poems that beginning students normally read. Exploiting the natural curiosity we feel about our own language, Stephen Barney draws etymological connections, provides mnemonic aids, and introduces the student to cultural and literary concepts as well as words. This second edition of his valuable book has been completely reset in a format that improves its clarity and conciseness. Reviews of the earlier edition: "An excellent piece of work. . . . It makes learning the basic vocabulary of Old English, especially of the poetry, an adventure in ideas, adding in short compass the fascination of etymology and even semantics to the otherwise laborious and at first crude efforts to understand the texts."--John C. Pope "It obviously reflects enthusiasm and a great deal of hard work, and it will serve very well the students for whom it is intended."--Thomas D. Hill, Speculum "There is nothing quite like it in the literature. . . . Such a book would have been enthusiastically greeted years ago. It is doubly welcome today."--Choice Stephen A. Barney is professor of English at the University of California at Irvine.

Foundations of Cognitive Grammar

Foundations of Cognitive Grammar PDF Author: Ronald W. Langacker
Publisher: Stanford University Press
ISBN: 0804738513
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 1056

Book Description
This is the first volume of a two-volume work that introduces a new and fundamentally different conception of language structure and linguistic investigation. The central claim of cognitive grammar is that grammar forms a continuum with lexicon and is fully describable in terms of symbolic units (i.e. form-meaning pairings). In contrast to current orthodoxy, the author argues that grammar is not autonomous with respect to semantics, but rather reduces to patterns for the structuring and symbolization of conceptual content. Reviews It is impossible within the limits of a review to discuss, or even do justice to, the wealth of information and genuine insights that the book contains. . . . Let us look forward to seeing the continuation of this promising approach to language. Langacker has written a highly stimulating first part; it will be exciting to see the sequel. Canadian Journal of Linguistics It represents important changes in the thrust of linguistic approaches to language. . . . It is rich, full, and thought-provoking. . . . The issues it raises are significant and will be much debated in the future. Linguistic Anthropology Understanding Langacker s grammar is made easier by the fact that, instead of using mathematical formalisms to prove his points, he uses common knowledge of language to persuade the reader. . . . The book is valuable for several factors in addition to its clarification of grammar. The insights into verbal thought and meaning are prime reasons for recommending the book to the semantically inclined. Et cetera"
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