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Book Cover
Book
Author Freeborn, Dennis.

Title From Old English to Standard English : a course book in language variation across time / Dennis Freeman
Edition Second edition
Published Ottawa : University of Ottawa Press, 1998

Copies

Location Call no. Vol. Availability
 MELB  420.9 Fre/Foe  AVAILABLE
Description xxi, 479 pages : illustrations, facsimiles ; 24 cm
Contents 1. Introduction -- 2. The English Language is Brought to Britain -- 3. Old English (I) -- 4. Old English (II) -- 5. From Old English to Middle English -- 6. Early Middle English - 12th Century -- 7. Early Middle English - 13th Century -- 8. Northern and Southern Texts Compared -- 9. The 14th Century - Southern and Kentish Dialects -- 10. The 14th Century - Northern Dialects -- 11. The 14th Century - West Midlands Dialects -- 12. The 14th Century - East Midlands and London Dialects -- 13. The London Dialect - Chaucer, Late 14th Century -- 14. Early Modern English I - The 15th Century -- 15. Early Modern English II - The 16th Century (i) -- 16. Early Modern English III - The 16th Century (ii) -- 17. Early Modern English IV - The 17th Century (i) -- 18. Early Modern English V - The 17th Century (ii) -- 19. Modern English - The 18th Century -- 20. From Old English to Modern English - Comparing Historical Texts -- 21. Postscript I - To the Present Day -- 22. Postscript II - English Spelling Today: A Summary -- 23. Postscript III - The Development of Present-Day English Spelling: A Summary
Summary "This practical and informative course book is a fascinating, visual volume which leads the student through the development of the language from Old English, through Middle and Early Modern English to the establishment of Standard English in the eighteenth century." "At the core of this substantially expanded second edition lies a series of nearly 200 historical texts, of which more than half are reproduced in facsimile, and which illustrate the progressive changes in the language. The book is firmly based upon linguistic description, with commentaries which form a series of case studies demonstrating the evidence for language change at every level - handwriting, spelling, punctuation, vocabulary, grammar and meaning." "Such a wealth of texts, as well as the structured activities and the various case studies, allow the volume to be used not only as a stimulating course text, guiding students through the analysis of data, but also as a comprehensive resource book and invaluable reference tool for teachers and students at all levels."--BOOK JACKET. /°
Bibliography Includes bibliographical references and index
Subject English language -- History -- Problems, exercises, etc.
English language -- Standardization -- Problems, exercises, etc.
English language -- Standardization.
English language -- Early modern, 1500-1700 -- Dialects -- Texts.
English language -- Middle English, 1100-1500 -- Dialects -- Texts.
English language -- Early modern, 1500-1700 -- Texts.
English language -- Middle English, 1100-1500 -- Texts.
English language -- Old English, ca. 450-1100 -- Texts.
Genre/Form Problems and exercises.
ISBN 0333691547
0333691555
0776604694