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The Development of Standard English, 1300-1800: Theories, Descriptions, Conflicts

Paperback / softback

Main Details

Title The Development of Standard English, 1300-1800: Theories, Descriptions, Conflicts
Authors and Contributors      Edited by Laura Wright
SeriesStudies in English Language
Physical Properties
Format:Paperback / softback
Pages:252
Dimensions(mm): Height 228,Width 151
Category/Genrelinguistics
ISBN/Barcode 9780521029698
ClassificationsDewey:420.9 420.9
Audience
Professional & Vocational
Illustrations 14 Tables, unspecified; 7 Maps

Publishing Details

Publisher Cambridge University Press
Imprint Cambridge University Press
Publication Date 2 November 2006
Publication Country United Kingdom

Description

There are many questions yet to be answered about how Standard English came into existence. The claim that it developed from a Central Midlands dialect propagated by clerks in the Chancery, the medieval writing office of the king, is one explanation that has dominated textbooks to date. This book reopens the debate about the origins of Standard English, challenging earlier accounts and revealing a far more complex and intriguing history. An international team of fourteen specialists offer a wide-ranging analysis, from theoretical discussions of the origin of dialects, to detailed descriptions of the history of individual Standard English features. The volume ranges from Middle English to the present day, and looks at a variety of text types. It concludes that Standard English had no one single ancestor dialect, but is the cumulative result of generations of authoritative writing from many text types.

Reviews

'The Development of Standard English, 1300-1800 provides thought-provoking insights into the past of standard English. I strongly recommend it to anyone interested in a refreshing re-examination of the teaching of the story of this language.' International Trade