The English language,: An introduction; background for writing

by W. Nelson Francis

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."

Genres: Nonfiction, Language, History, Reference

Paperback

First published January 1, 1985

Reviews

[Adam K · Rating 4 out of 5]

The English Language by Robert Burchfield is a wonderful little primer on the history of the English language. While this is not a deep dive into any particular part of the language's rich history, it touches upon a wide-range of elements from lexical history, to geographic/regional changes, and the development and changes in syntax. Along the way, he provides many fascinating examples of how words, sentences, or pronunciations have changed over the centuries which provides insight into why the English language can seem so nonsensical upon early inspection of the lay person (not to mention the difficulties that many people have who are learning it as a second language). As someone who has always had a fascination with language but is by no means an expert, I found this text readable and educational. This is a great jumping-off-point for someone looking to learn more about the interesting history of the English language.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

An overview of the English language—from its historical development to current variation. A very enjoyable read for the linguist, and undoubtedly at least interesting for the layperson curious about the roots and content of the English language, providing a more analytical perspective than the one imposed in English classes.

My favorite tidbit was the origin of the word “window,” from an old Norse compound “vindauga,” meaning “wind-eye.” The book is full of fun etymologies of this kind, just exactly the sort of breadth of knowledge one would expect from an editor of the OED.

Since the book was written by an Englishman in 1985, the book uses a few turns of phrase that we would now view as at best antiquated (e.g. “the Blacks”), but to his credit, this phrase was used to shower praise on the linguistic innovations of AAVE, not to denigrate. He tried, give him some credit.

[Ollie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid, breif history of the English language.

[Brent · Rating 3 out of 5]

The English language has a history--not gripping, but interesting and helpful in evaluating current grammars, spellings, etc.

[Jack Coleman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A treasured addition to my library beside "Chasing the Sun" by
Johnathan Greene.
Beautiful folio edition found at my local library book sale.

[Af]

Certainly not a comprehensive overview, but interesting tit-bits here and there. The writing is sometimes pretty opaque.