Our Marvelous Native Tongue

Our Marvelous Native Tongue
Author: Robert Claiborne
Publisher: Crown
Total Pages: 360
Release: 1983
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN:

Recounts a history of the English language from its Indo-European origins to the present.

Our Marvelous Native Tongue

Our Marvelous Native Tongue
Author: Robert Claiborne
Publisher: Three Rivers Press
Total Pages: 339
Release: 1983
Genre: English language
ISBN: 9780812916355

Traces the history of the English language from its Indo-European roots to contemporary vocabulary and chronicles the lives and times of various English-speaking people

Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue

Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue
Author: John McWhorter
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 258
Release: 2009-10-27
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 1592404944

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 Language distills hundreds of years of fascinating lore into one lively history. Covering such turning points as the little-known Celtic and Welsh influences on English, the impact of the Viking raids and the Norman Conquest, and the Germanic invasions that started it all during the fifth century ad, 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 due to its role as a streamlined lingua franca during the early formation of Britain. This is the book that language aficionados worldwide have been waiting for (and no, it’s not a sin to end a sentence with a preposition).

Verbivore's Feast

Verbivore's Feast
Author: Chrysti Mueller Smith
Publisher: Farcountry Press
Total Pages: 442
Release: 2012-09-12
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 1560375280

What led to the expression "let the cat out of the bag"? Why do we call blondes "towheads"? For Pete's sake, what is a fangle? In this humorous and engaging collection of word origins and histories, the famed host of the Chrysti the Wordsmith series (heard on Yellowstone Public Radio, Montana Public Radio, Montana State University's KGLT-FM, and Armed Forces Radio and Television Service) shares the stories behind the words. This irresistible medley is a must for word lovers everywhere.

Verbivore's Feast: Second Course

Verbivore's Feast: Second Course
Author: Chrysti Mueller Smith
Publisher: Farcountry Press
Total Pages: 385
Release: 2015-09-12
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 1560375302

In this companion edition to her popular Verbivore's Feast, Chrysti the Wordsmith, host of the much-loved radio show of the same name, once again examines the evolution and history of the English language, using the odd expressions and cliches that pepper it. Exploring words such as lollygag and quack, and phrases ranging from break a leg to shake a stick and from Adam's apple to trip the light fantastic, Chrysti the Wordsmith uncovers the fascinating stories about their origins.

Do I Make Myself Clear?

Do I Make Myself Clear?
Author: Harold Evans
Publisher: Little, Brown
Total Pages: 411
Release: 2017-05-16
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 031643230X

A wise and entertaining guide to writing English the proper way by one of the greatest newspaper editors of our time. Harry Evans has edited everything from the urgent files of battlefield reporters to the complex thought processes of Henry Kissinger. He's even been knighted for his services to journalism. In Do I Make Myself Clear?, he brings his indispensable insight to us all in his definite guide to writing well. The right words are oxygen to our ideas, but the digital era, with all of its TTYL, LMK, and WTF, has been cutting off that oxygen flow. The compulsion to be precise has vanished from our culture, and in writing of every kind we see a trend towards more -- more speed and more information but far less clarity. Evans provides practical examples of how editing and rewriting can make for better communication, even in the digital age. Do I Make Myself Clear? is an essential text, and one that will provide every writer an editor at his shoulder.

Learning One's Native Tongue

Learning One's Native Tongue
Author: Tracy B. Strong
Publisher:
Total Pages: 342
Release: 2019
Genre: Citizenship
ISBN: 022662322X

"Tracy Strong explores the development of the concept of American citizenship and of what it means to belong to this country, beginning with the Puritans in the 17th century and continuing to the present day. He examines in detail the conflicts over what citizenship means as reflected in the writings and speeches of America's leading thinkers and leaders ranging from John Winthrop and Roger Williams, to Thomas Jefferson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, and Franklin Roosevelt, among others who have participated in our cultural and political debates. We see how the requirements and demands of citizenship have been discussed and better understand how groups are defined into and out of the American nation"--

English Vocabulary Elements

English Vocabulary Elements
Author: Keith Denning
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 337
Release: 2007-02-17
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 0199724350

This unique text draws on the tools of modern linguistics to help the student acquire an effective understanding of learned, specialized, and scientific vocabulary. English Vocabulary Elements (EVE) helps develop familiarity with over 350 Latin and Greek word elements in English, and shows how these roots are the building blocks within thousands of different words. Along the way the authors introduce and illustrate many of the fundamental concepts of linguistics. Offering a thorough approach to the expansion of vocabulary, EVE is an invaluable resource that provides students a deeper understanding of the language. This book will be useful to upper level high school students, undergraduates in English, Linguistics, and Classics departments, ESL students, and anyone interested in building vocabulary skills. This edition is refined and thoroughly updated. It includes updated cultural references, and the authors have revised and improved the pedagogy based on classroom experience. In particular they account for variations in pronunciation among students; clarify when historical details are important or peripheral; and improve the many examples and exercises that form the core of the book.

Dog Days and Dandelions

Dog Days and Dandelions
Author: Martha Barnette
Publisher: Macmillan + ORM
Total Pages: 203
Release: 2013-11-12
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 1466856882

From apian (like a bee) to zodiac (little-animals circle), a word book that spots the animal origins of words and names There are mice in your muscles, and blackbirds in your merlot. Behind adulation is a dog's wagging tail. Peculiar houses a herd of cattle. Grubby is crawling with bugs. Wordhound Martha Barnette collects more than 300 common (and a few not-so-common) words that have surprising animal roots. Tracing word origins back to ancient Greek and Latin as well as to European roots and American slang, the entries offer a guided tour through literature, science, folklore, politics, and more--with a wilderness of animal meanings at every turn. For fledgling word sleuths as well as those who fawn over etymologies, this is a delightful smorgasbord for writers, students, and word lovers.

Letter Perfect

Letter Perfect
Author: David Sacks
Publisher: Vintage Canada
Total Pages: 415
Release: 2010-08-20
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 0307371034

Letters are tangible language. Joining together in endless combinations to actually show speech, letters convey our messages and tell our stories. While we encounter these tiny shapes hundreds of times a day, we take for granted the long, fascinating history behind one of the most fundamental of human inventions -- the alphabet. The heart of the book is the 26 fact-filled “biographies” of letters A through Z, each one identifying the letter’s particular significance for modern readers, tracing its development from ancient forms, and discussing its noteworthy role in literature and other media. We learn, for example, why the letter X has a sinister and sexual aura, how B came to signify second best, why the word “mother” in many languages starts with M, and what is the story of O. Packed with information and lavishly illustrated, Letter Perfect is not only accessible and entertaining, but essential to the appreciation of our own language.