The Lexicographer's Dilemma: The Evolution of 'Proper' English, from Shakespeare to South Park
Jack W. Lynch (Author)
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English
In its long history, the English language has had many lawmakers—those who have tried to regulate or otherwise organize the way we speak. The Lexicographer's Dilemma poses a pair of questions—what does proper English mean, and who gets to say what's right? Our ideas of correct or proper English have a history, and today's debates over the state of the language—whether about Ebonics in schools, the unique use of language in a South Park episode, or split infinitives in the Times—make sense only in historical context. As historian Jack Lynch has discovered, every rule has a human history, and the characters who populate his narrative are as interesting for their obsessions as for their erudition. Charting the evolution of English with wit and intelligence, he provides a rich historical perspective that makes us appreciate a new the hard-won standards we now enjoy.
- Rank: #11536 in Books
- Published on: 2010-10-26
- Released on: 2010-10-26
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: .93" h x 5.65" w x 8.18" l, .74 pounds
- Binding: Paperback
- 336 pages
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