Publisher's Synopsis
Elements of the History of the English Language is a book written by Uno Lindelof and first published in 1911. The book is a comprehensive study of the evolution of the English language from its earliest roots to the present day. It covers the major historical periods of the language, including Old English, Middle English, Early Modern English, and Modern English, and examines the linguistic, social, and cultural factors that have shaped its development over time.The book begins with an overview of the Indo-European language family and the Germanic branch, of which English is a member. It then delves into the earliest forms of the English language, including the dialects spoken by the Anglo-Saxon tribes that settled in Britain in the 5th and 6th centuries. The book covers the major literary works of the Old English period, such as Beowulf and the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, and explores the linguistic features of the language, such as its inflectional system and word order.Moving on to the Middle English period, the book examines the changes that occurred in the language following the Norman Conquest of 1066. It covers the emergence of the Chancery Standard and the development of the Great Vowel Shift, which marked a significant change in the pronunciation of English vowels. The book also looks at the literature of the Middle English period, including the works of Chaucer, and considers the social and cultural factors that influenced the language during this time.The book then moves on to the Early Modern English period, which saw the rise of the printing press and the standardization of the language. It covers the works of Shakespeare and other major writers of the time, and examines the linguistic changes that occurred, such as the loss of inflectional endings and the growth of vocabulary through borrowing from Latin and other languages.Finally, the book looks at Modern English and the changes that have occurred in the language since the 18th century. It covers the growth of English as a global language and the influence of technology on its development. The book concludes with a discussion of the current state of the English language and its future prospects.Overall, Elements of the History of the English Language is a comprehensive and detailed study of the evolution of English, covering its major historical periods and examining the linguistic, social, and cultural factors that have shaped its development over time.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.
