The Leading eBooks Store Online

for Kindle Fire, Apple, Android, Nook, Kobo, PC, Mac, Sony Reader...

New to eBooks.com?

Learn more

Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue

The Untold History of English

Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue
Add to cart
US$ 12.99 (+ tax)
A survey of the quirks and quandaries of the English language, focusing on our strange and wonderful grammar

Why do we say "I am reading a catalog" instead of "I read a catalog"? Why do we say "do" at all? Is the way we speak a reflection of our cultural values? Delving into these provocative topics and more, Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue distills hundreds of years of fascinating lore into one lively history. Covering such turning points as the little-known Celtic and Welsh on English, the impact of the Viking raids and the Norman Conquest, and the Germanic invasions that started it all, John McWhorter narrates this colorful evolution with vigor. Drawing on revolutionary genetic and linguistic research as well as a cache of remarkable trivia about the origins of English words and syntax patterns, Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue ultimately demonstrates the arbitrary, maddening nature of English-and its ironic simplicity.
Penguin Group Inc.; October 2008
256 pages; ISBN 9781440634048
Read online, or download in EPUB