Böcker av Larry Trask

The first recorded English name for the make-up we now call blusher was paint, in 1660. In the 1700s a new word, rouge, displaced paint, and remained in standard usage for around two centuries. Then, in 1965, an advertisement coined a new word for the product: blusher. Each generation speaks a little differently, and every language is constantly changing. It is not only words that change, every aspect of a language changes over time - pronunciation, word-meanings and grammar. Packed with fascinating examples of changes in the English language over time, this entertaining book explores the origin of words and place names, the differences between British and American English, and the apparent eccentricities of the English spelling system. Amusingly written yet deeply instructive, it will be enjoyed by anyone involved in studying the English language and its history, as well as anyone interested in how and why languages change.

This dictionary covers central terms in the core areas of linguistics - pronunciation, word structure, sentence structure, meaning, - and the key terms encountered in the study of the social, anthropological, psychological and neurological aspects of language.

This text uses data from English and other languages to introduce the concepts central to language change. It covers the most frequent types of change, and how languages are born and die. It also looks at other key areas, such as attitudes to language change, and the consequences.