The History of the English Language: A Source Book

by J.D. Burnley

This second edition of The History of the English Language- A Sourcebook provides a comprehensive and accessible guide to the origins and development of the English language. First published in 1992, the book contains over fifty illustrative passages, drawn from the oldest English to the twentieth century. The passages are contextualised by individual introductions and grouped into the traditional periods of Old English, Early Middle English, Later Middle English, Early Modern English and Modern English. These periods are connected by brief essays explaining the major linguistic developments associated with each period, to produce a continuous outline history.
For this new edition Professor Burnley has expanded the outline of linguistic features at each of the main chronological divisions and included more selections and illustrations. A new section has also been included to illustrate the language of advertising from the 18th century to the present. The book will be of general interest to all those interested in the origins and development of the English language, and in particular to students and teachers of the history of the English language at A-level and university.

Genres: Nonfiction, Linguistics

440 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1992

Reviews

[Margaret Carpenter]

In my opinion, a very good selection of texts from the periods discussed as well as excellent explanatory short essays on each of the periods.

[Thomas Murphy · Rating 1 out of 5]

While this book is really well researched and speaks with the authority earned from being truly expert on the topic, most readers will find this pretty inaccessible because it assumes an audience who are already experts in Old English, Middle English, and early Modern English including their sundry dialects over its history. I am an English and linguistics major and an English teacher who has read a great deal on this topic and historical linguistics, yet I still found this book quite inaccessible in large sections.

The majority of the source texts come from the Christian bible or from the featured period's thinkers philosophising or teaching on religion, faith, and Christianity -- there is no other topic that induces me to boredom or tunes me out more than other people describing their magical thinking and Christian beliefs, but disingenuously presenting them as fact.

At first I thought that there were so many religious texts because those were the only sources, but as we progressed into Early Modern English, it continued leaving me to think the author had a preference for these texts or a belief that they were the most authoritative representation of the language for each time. Basically, it felt like getting tricked into reading the bible.

The last straw was when I came across an explanation of a word in which this author casually cites the word of early explorers to the "New World" (in other words, genocideurs, murderers, and slave traders) and slanders the First Nation group of the Carib people (Indigenous to Haspionola -- present day Haiti and the Dominican Republic) as being cannibals. He glibly calls this First Nations group cannibals, without citation, on the testimony of people who were ACTUAL slave holders, sadistic killers, and genocideurs.

Authors, the time where you get to say garbage like this and think you won't be explicitly called out for it is long over. It's notable as well that the crimes of Christopher Columbus and the rumours of cannibalism were both well known when this book was written, but the author chose to highlight the cannibalism, cite the genocideur as evidence, and then not mention the genocide, murders, rapes, beatings, or slave trading perpetrated by the white European genocideur.

Fortunately, I have read many texts in which the Carib people are actually given a voice and allowed to talk and I know that this claim of cannibalism is WIDELY DISPROVEN.

The authority of this entire book is undermined by the casual repetition of the slurs of genocidal early explorers as fact.

For a far better, more accessible, and less cringey treatment of the same topic, try Elly Van Gelderen's "A History of the English Language".

[StrangeBedfellows · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the few books from my college days that I actually revisit for personal entertainment. Chronologically organized from Old English to Modern, this book is perfect for anyone with a fondness for very old things. The informative sections are ideal for both historians and linguists. Best of all, though, are the included writing samples. Latin, Old English, Middle English ... it's all there for your translating pleasure. This is a true gem of nerd joy.

[Hilary · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just what it says it is: a source book. This book contains small excerpts from every period of the English language's history... and some of it is actually interesting to read. All of it, though, is informative and appropriate for the points the author is trying to communicate.

[Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

English readers should read this first. Using ancient texts it gives an overview of the history of the English language from the first old Norse writing through to modern English.

[Claudia Moreno · Rating 2 out of 5]

The History of the English Language: A Source Book

[Eleni · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great source for texts like the preface of Johnson's Dictionary and the OED, "The Battle of Brunanburh," "Caedmon's Hymn," parallel passages from English Bibles, etc.

[Oleh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cool