Borrow it
Coverart for item
The Resource Inventing English : a portable history of the language, Seth Lerer, (electronic resource)

Inventing English : a portable history of the language, Seth Lerer, (electronic resource)

Creator
Contributor
Summary
Why is there such a striking difference between English spelling and English pronunciation? How did our seemingly relatively simple grammar rules develop? What are the origins of regional dialect, literary language, and everyday speech, and what do they have to do with you? Seth Lerer's Inventing English is a masterful, engaging history of the English language from the age of Beowulf to the rap of Eminem. Many have written about the evolution of our grammar, pronunciation, and vocabulary, but only Lerer situates these developments in the larger history of English, America, and literature. Lerer begins in the seventh century with the poet Caedmon learning to sing what would become the earliest poem in English. He then looks at the medieval scribes and poets who gave shape to Middle English. He finds the traces of the Great Vowel Shift in the spelling choices of letter writers of the fifteenth century and explores the achievements of Samuel Johnson's Dictionary of 1755 and The Oxford English Dictionary of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. He describes the differences between English and American usage and, through the example of Mark Twain, the link between regional dialect and race, class, and gender. Finally, he muses on the ways in which contact with foreign languages, popular culture, advertising, the Internet, and e-mail continue to shape English for future generations. Each concise chapter illuminates a moment of invention-a time when people discovered a new form of expression or changed the way they spoke or wrote. In conclusion, Lerer wonders whether globalization and technology have turned English into a world language and reflects on what has been preserved and what has been lost. A unique blend of historical and personal narrative, Inventing English is the surprising tale of a language that is as dynamic as the people to whom it belongs
Language
eng
Work
Instance
Label
Inventing English : a portable history of the language
Title
Inventing English
Title remainder
a portable history of the language
Statement of responsibility
Seth Lerer
Creator
Contributor
Subject
Language
eng
Summary
Why is there such a striking difference between English spelling and English pronunciation? How did our seemingly relatively simple grammar rules develop? What are the origins of regional dialect, literary language, and everyday speech, and what do they have to do with you? Seth Lerer's Inventing English is a masterful, engaging history of the English language from the age of Beowulf to the rap of Eminem. Many have written about the evolution of our grammar, pronunciation, and vocabulary, but only Lerer situates these developments in the larger history of English, America, and literature. Lerer begins in the seventh century with the poet Caedmon learning to sing what would become the earliest poem in English. He then looks at the medieval scribes and poets who gave shape to Middle English. He finds the traces of the Great Vowel Shift in the spelling choices of letter writers of the fifteenth century and explores the achievements of Samuel Johnson's Dictionary of 1755 and The Oxford English Dictionary of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. He describes the differences between English and American usage and, through the example of Mark Twain, the link between regional dialect and race, class, and gender. Finally, he muses on the ways in which contact with foreign languages, popular culture, advertising, the Internet, and e-mail continue to shape English for future generations. Each concise chapter illuminates a moment of invention-a time when people discovered a new form of expression or changed the way they spoke or wrote. In conclusion, Lerer wonders whether globalization and technology have turned English into a world language and reflects on what has been preserved and what has been lost. A unique blend of historical and personal narrative, Inventing English is the surprising tale of a language that is as dynamic as the people to whom it belongs
Cataloging source
Midwest
http://library.link/vocab/creatorDate
1955-
http://library.link/vocab/creatorName
Lerer, Seth
Dewey number
420.9
Index
no index present
Literary form
non fiction
Nature of contents
dictionaries
http://library.link/vocab/relatedWorkOrContributorName
hoopla digital
http://library.link/vocab/subjectName
  • English language
  • English language
  • English language
  • English language
  • Linguistics
  • Electronic books
Target audience
adult
Label
Inventing English : a portable history of the language, Seth Lerer, (electronic resource)
Link
Instantiates
Publication
Distribution
Carrier category
online resource
Carrier category code
  • cr
Carrier MARC source
rdacarrier
Color
multicolored
Content category
text
Content type code
  • txt
Content type MARC source
rdacontent
Dimensions
unknown
Extent
1 online resource
Form of item
  • online
  • electronic
Governing access note
Digital content provided by hoopla
Isbn
9780231510769
Isbn Type
(electronic bk.)
Media category
computer
Media MARC source
rdamedia
Media type code
  • c
http://library.link/vocab/ext/overdrive/overdriveId
11861625
Publisher number
MWT11861625
Specific material designation
remote
System details
Mode of access: World Wide Web
Label
Inventing English : a portable history of the language, Seth Lerer, (electronic resource)
Link
Publication
Distribution
Carrier category
online resource
Carrier category code
  • cr
Carrier MARC source
rdacarrier
Color
multicolored
Content category
text
Content type code
  • txt
Content type MARC source
rdacontent
Dimensions
unknown
Extent
1 online resource
Form of item
  • online
  • electronic
Governing access note
Digital content provided by hoopla
Isbn
9780231510769
Isbn Type
(electronic bk.)
Media category
computer
Media MARC source
rdamedia
Media type code
  • c
http://library.link/vocab/ext/overdrive/overdriveId
11861625
Publisher number
MWT11861625
Specific material designation
remote
System details
Mode of access: World Wide Web

Subject

Library Locations

  • Anza LibraryBorrow it
    550 37th Avenue, San Francisco, CA, 94121, US
    37.778535 -122.497218
  • Bayview/Linda Brooks-Burton LibraryBorrow it
    5075 3rd Street, San Francisco, CA, 94124, US
    37.732534 -122.391121
  • Bernal Heights LibraryBorrow it
    500 Cortland Avenue, San Francisco, CA, 94110, US
    37.738862 -122.416132
  • Bookmobiles / Mobile OutreachBorrow it
    San Francisco, CA, US
  • Chinatown/Him Mark Lai LibraryBorrow it
    1135 Powell Street, San Francisco, CA, 94108, US
    37.795248 -122.410239
  • Eureka Valley/Harvey Milk Memorial LibraryBorrow it
    1 Jose Sarria Court, San Francisco, CA, 94114, US
    37.764084 -122.431821
  • Excelsior LibraryBorrow it
    4400 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA, 94112, US
    37.727127 -122.433284
  • Glen Park LibraryBorrow it
    2825 Diamond Street, San Francisco, CA, 94131, US
    37.733969 -122.433723
  • Golden Gate Valley LibraryBorrow it
    1801 Green Street, San Francisco, CA, 94123, US
    37.797819 -122.428950
  • Ingleside LibraryBorrow it
    1298 Ocean Ave, San Francisco, CA, 94112, US
    37.724132 -122.456251
  • Marina LibraryBorrow it
    1890 Chestnut Street, San Francisco, CA, 94123, US
    37.801325 -122.434154
  • Merced LibraryBorrow it
    155 Winston Drive, San Francisco, CA, 94132, US
    37.726735 -122.474482
  • Mission Bay LibraryBorrow it
    960 4th Street, San Francisco, CA, 94158, US
    37.775330 -122.393195
  • Mission LibraryBorrow it
    300 Bartlett St, San Francisco, CA, 94110, US
    37.751989 -122.419843
  • Noe Valley/Sally Brunn LibraryBorrow it
    451 Jersey Street, San Francisco, CA, 94114, US
    37.750180 -122.435116
  • North Beach LibraryBorrow it
    850 Columbus Avenue, San Francisco, CA, 94133, US
    37.802585 -122.413280
  • Ocean View LibraryBorrow it
    345 Randolph Street, San Francisco, CA, 94132, US
    37.714138 -122.466002
  • Ortega LibraryBorrow it
    3223 Ortega Street, San Francisco, CA, 94122, US
    37.751163 -122.498094
  • Park LibraryBorrow it
    1833 Page Street, San Francisco, CA, 94117, US
    37.770300 -122.451046
  • Parkside LibraryBorrow it
    1200 Taraval Street, San Francisco, CA, 94116, US
    37.743130 -122.479330
  • Portola LibraryBorrow it
    380 Bacon Street, San Francisco, CA, 94134, US
    37.727098 -122.406361
  • Potrero LibraryBorrow it
    1616 20th Street, San Francisco, CA, 94107, US
    37.760122 -122.397653
  • Presidio LibraryBorrow it
    3150 Sacramento Street, San Francisco, CA, 94115, US
    37.788875 -122.444892
  • Richmond/Senator Milton Marks LibraryBorrow it
    351 9th Ave, San Francisco, CA, 94118, US
    37.781855 -122.468054
  • San Francisco Public LibraryBorrow it
    100 Larkin Street, San Francisco, CA, 94102, US
    37.779376 -122.415795
  • Sunset LibraryBorrow it
    1305 18th Ave., San Francisco, CA, 94122, US
    37.763354 -122.476307
  • Visitacion Valley LibraryBorrow it
    201 Leland Avenue, San Francisco, CA, 94134, US
    37.712695 -122.407913
  • West Portal LibraryBorrow it
    190 Lenox Way, San Francisco, CA, 94127, US
    37.741341 -122.465883
  • Western AdditionBorrow it
    1550 Scott Street, San Francisco, CA, 94115, US
    37.784121 -122.437503

Library Links

Structured data from the Bibframe namespace is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License by San Francisco Public Library. Additional terms may apply to data associated with third party namespaces.
Processing Feedback ...