Why Do Languages Change? (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780521546935)

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.

Author: Larry Trask
ISBN-10: 0521546931
ISBN-13: 9780521546935
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Language: English
Published: 12/24/2009
Pages: 210
Format: Paperback
Weight: 0.75lbs
Size: 8.80h x 5.90w x 0.40d