Lynda Mugglestone Livres

Examines the hidden history through which the Oxford English Dictionary came into being in a study that traces the personal battles involved in chronicling an ever-changing language.

"The Oxford History of English traces the language from its obscure Indo-European roots to its position as the world's first language. In accounts made vivid with examples from an immense range of documentary evidence, including letters, diaries, and private records, fifteen experts describe the history of English in its versions, written and spoken. They reveal the language's rich and protean variety over the centuries and chart the progress of all its versions, standard, regional, and international. They describe and explain its constantly changing sounds, words, meanings, and grammar."--BOOK JACKET.

The book delves into a unique archive of wartime notebooks that reveal how the English language evolved on the Home Front during conflict. By utilizing unconventional sources, it examines the impact of war on everyday language, highlighting the interplay between language and history. This investigation offers insights into the linguistic shifts experienced by ordinary people, showcasing language as a critical interdisciplinary tool for understanding historical contexts.

This book looks at the range of Johnson's writings on, and the complexity of his thinking about, language and lexicography. It casts new light on Johnson's life in language provides a convincing reassessment of his impact on English culture, the making of dictionaries, and their role in a nation's identity.

Dictionaries are far more than works which list the words and meanings of a language. In this Very Short Introduction Lynda Mugglestone takes a look at how dictionaries are made, considering how they reflect the dominant social and cultural assumptions of the time in which they were written.