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Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue
John McWhorter
The Untold Story of English
Gotham
November 2008
On Sale: October 30, 2008
256 pages
ISBN: 1592403956
EAN: 9781592403950
Hardcover
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Non-Fiction
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).
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