Lawrence Public Library

A history of the English language, Michael D. C. Drout

eng

Addresses the foundation of language and its connection to portions of the brain. The components of language are explained in easy-to-understand terms and the progression of the language from Germanic to Old, Middle, and Modern English is fully illustrated, including such revolutionary language upheavals as those brought about by the Norman Conquest and the Great Vowel Shift

historical information

not applicable

not applicable

lectures speeches

A history of the English language

not applicable

72441144

Michael D. C. Drout

Modern scholar

Lecture 1. The foundations of language: brain, development, acquisition -- Lecture 2. Signs and meanings: semantics -- Lecture 3. Sounds of language: phonetics -- Lecture 4. Sound and meaning: phonology -- Lecture 5. Sound shifts and history -- Lecture 6. The rules: syntax -- Lecture 7. Words, words, words -- Lecture 8. The history of the English language -- Lecture 9. From Germanic to Old English -- Lecture 10. Borrowing and influence: Romans, Celts, Danes (Latin, Celtic, Scandinavian) -- Lecture 11. The Norman Conquest, the influence of French, and the development of Middle English -- Lecture 12. To Modern English: the Great Vowel Shift -- Lecture 13: You say soda, I say pop: dialect, variants, and the development of American English -- Lecture 14. A global language: the present and future of English

general

not applicable