MARC Record from Library of Congress

LEADER: 02349cam a2200337 a 4500
001 2008020983
003 DLC
005 20090901094033.0
008 080508s2008 nyu b 001 0 eng
010 $a 2008020983
020 $a9781592403950
020 $a1592403956
035 $a(OCoLC)223800760
040 $aDLC$cDLC$dBTCTA$dBAKER$dYDXCP$dC#P$dBWX$dBUR$dVP@$dDLC
050 00 $aPE1075$b.M597 2008
082 00 $a420.9$222
100 1 $aMcWhorter, John H.
245 10 $aOur magnificent bastard tongue :$bthe untold history of English /$cJohn McWhorter.
260 $aNew York :$bGotham Books,$cc2008.
300 $axxiii, 230 p. ;$c20 cm.
504 $aIncludes bibliographical references (p. 199-211) and index.
520 $aWhy 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, author McWhorter distills hundreds of years of lore into one lively history. Covering 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, and drawing on genetic and linguistic research as well as a cache of trivia about the origins of English words and syntax patterns, McWhorter 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 have been waiting for.--From publisher description.
505 0 $aWe speak a miscegenated grammar -- A lesson from the Celtic impact -- We speak a battered grammar -- Does our grammar channel our thought? -- Skeletons in the closet.
650 0 $aEnglish language$xHistory.
650 0 $aEnglish language$xEtymology.
650 0 $aEnglish language$xForeign elements.
650 0 $aEnglish language$xForeign words and phrases.
650 0 $aLanguages in contact.
856 41 $3Table of contents only$uhttp://www.loc.gov/catdir/toc/ecip0818/2008020983.html
856 42 $3Publisher description$uhttp://www.loc.gov/catdir/enhancements/fy0906/2008020983-d.html
856 42 $3Contributor biographical information$uhttp://www.loc.gov/catdir/enhancements/fy0908/2008020983-b.html