R. W. Burchfield

The English language, in its earliest period, was spoken by a few thousand people, most of whom were illiterate. Today, more than 300 million people speak and write English as their first language. In this book, Robert Burchfield takes us on a brief tour of our ever-changing language as he surveys its history and development and assesses its current state. An eloquent guide, Burchfield examines the complexities of English, as well as its amazing resilience and flexibility. From vocabulary, syntax, and pronunciation, to an analysis of the role of literature and the English Bible in shaping the language, Burchfield infuses all his discussions with his fascination with the mystery of language and his confidence that English "can be used at the present time as in the past, with majesty and power, free of all fault."

The English Language

Suzanne Romaine

Richard M. Hogg

Volume 1, Beginnings to 1066: This volume deals with the history of English up to the Norman Conquest and contains chapters on Indo-European and Germanic, phonology and morphology, syntax, semantics and vocabulary, dialectology, onomastics, and literary language. Each chapter, as well as giving a chronologically-oriented presentation of the data, surveys scholarship in the area and takes full account of the impact of developing and current linguistic theory on the interpretation of the data. The chapters have been written with both specialists and non-specialists in mind.

The Cambridge History of the English Language: English in Britain and Overseas : origins and development

Charles Talbut Onions

George Washington Salisbury Friedrichsen

The Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology

C. T. Onions

G. W. S. Friedrichsen

Norman Francis Blake

Roger Lass

Volume two of this set covers the Middle English Period, approximately 1066-1476, and describes and analyses developments in the language from the Norman Conquest to the introduction of printing.

The Cambridge History of the English Language: 1066-1476

The volumes of The Cambridge history of the English language reflect the spread of English from its beginnings in Anglo-Saxon England to its current role as a multifaceted global language that dominates international communication in the 21st century.

The Cambridge History of the English Language

Oxford University Press

Surveys the histories of the various usages of more than 10,000 words ranging from se to Zyrian

A Supplement to the Oxford English Dictionary

These volumes replace the 1933 Supplement to the OED. The vocabulary treated is that which came into use during the publication of the successive sections of the main Dictionary -- that is, between 1884, when the first fascicle of the letter A was published, and 1928, when the final section of the Dictionary appeared -- together with accessions to the English language in Britain and abroad from 1928 to the present day. Nearly all the material in the 1933 Supplement has been retained here, though in revised form (Preface).

Richard Hogg

The Cambridge History of the English Language is the first multi-volume work to provide a full account of the history of English. Its authoritative coverage extends from areas of central linguistic interest and concern to more specialised topics such as personal and place names. The volumes dealing with earlier periods are chronologically based, whilst those dealing with more recent periods are geographically based, thus reflecting the spread of English over the last 300 years. Volume 1 deals with the history of English up to the Norman Conquest, and contains chapters on Indo-European and Germanic, phonology and morphology, syntax, semantics and vocabulary, dialectology, onomastics, and literary language. Each chapter, as well as giving a chronologically-oriented presentation of the data, surveys scholarship in the area and takes full account of the impact of developing and current linguistic theory on the interpretation of the data. The chapters have been written with both specialists and non-specialists in mind; they will be essential reading for all those interested in the history of English.

James Augustus Henry Murray

A definitive reference to English words and usage

A Supplement to the Oxford English Dictionary: O-Scz

The New Zealand Pocket Oxford Dictionary

This volume spans Middle English, Early Modern English and the early stages of modern language.

R. W. Burchfield

Books

Your next favorite book is out there