Лучшие книги Дэвид Кристал

The world's greatest authority on language explains the secrets and subtleties of the grammar of English. David Crystal explores its history and varieties, explains its rules and irregularities and shows how to navigate its snares and pitfalls. He gives practical guidance on how grammar is used in different ways for different purposes and in different social settings. In a series of revealing illustrations he also considers what learned and prominent people have said about English grammar over the centuries. Like its three companion volumes Making Sense will appeal to everyone interested in the English language and how to use it.

Some people say "sconn", while others say "scohn". He say "bath", while she says "bahth". You say "potayto". I say "potahto". And - wait a second, no one says "potahto". No one's ever said "potahto". Have they?

With a language disappearing every two weeks and neologisms springing up almost daily, an understanding of the origins and currency of language has never seemed more relevant. In this charming volume, a narrative history, expert linguist David Crystal proves why the story of language deserves retelling.
From the first words of an infant to the peculiar modern dialect of text messaging, A Little Book of Language ranges widely, revealing language’s myriad intricacies and quirks. In animated fashion, Crystal sheds light on the development of unique linguistic styles, the origins of obscure accents, and the search for the first written word. He discusses the plight of endangered languages, as well as successful cases of linguistic revitalization. Much more than a history, Crystal’s work looks forward to the future of language, exploring the effect of technology on our day-to-day reading, writing, and speech. A Little Book of Language will reveal the story of language to be a captivating tale for all ages.
David Crystal is one of the world's preeminent language specialists. Writer, editor, lecturer, and broadcaster, he is Honorary Professor of Linguistics at the University of Wales, Bangor. He has written nearly 100 books, including The Cambridge Encyclopaedia of the English Language, By Hook or By Crook: A Journey in Search of English, Txtng: The Gr8 Db8, The Stories of English, and Rediscover Grammar, and has published widely on phonetics, Shakespeare's language, and child language. In 1995 he was awarded the OBE for services to the English language.

In this fascinating survey of everything from how sounds become speech to how names work, David Crystal answers every question you might ever have had about the nuts and bolts of language in his usual highly illuminating way. Along the way, we find out about eyebrow flashes, whistling languages, how parents teach their children to speak, how politeness travels across languages and how the way we talk show not just how old we are but where we're from and even who we want to be.

Формат: 13 см х 19,5 см.

Начиная со второй половины XX в. английский язык стал выполнять функции универсального языка общения людей разных стран и культур. Английский — это своего рода лингва франка, международный язык современности. Этот феномен имеет свои причины и следствия. Английский язык не только влияет на другие языки, но и сам испытывает интенсивное воздействие. Признанный мировой…

How did a language originally spoken by a few thousand Anglo-Saxons become one used by more than 1,500 million people? How have all the different versions of English evolved and changed? In this compelling global tour, David Crystal turns the history of the language on its head and tells the real stories of English that have never before been fully told.

The first edition of The Cambridge Encyclopedia of The English Language by linguist David Crystal was published in 1995. Since then it has become a publishing phenomenon, popular with language-lovers, writers, students, and teachers. The recently published second edition has been completely updated, supplemented with extensive new material on world English and Internet English, and a total of 44 new illustrations have been added too.

It's the most simple, unassuming, innocent-looking verb: 'to be'. Yet it is jam-packed with more different meanings, forms, and uses than any other English word. As he reveals be's multiple incarnations, David Crystal takes us to the heart of our flexible and changing language. He tells the intriguing story in 26 chapters, each linked to a particular usage. We meet circumstantial be ('how are you?'), numerical be ('two and two is four'), quotative be ('so I was like, "wow"'), and ludic be ('oh no he isn't!'), and a whole swarm of other meanings. Bringing the ideas to life are a host of examples from sources as varied as Beowulf, Jane Austen, pantomime, Hamlet (of course), and Star Wars, with cartoons from Ed McLachlan and Punch peppered throughout. Full of fascinating nuggets of information, it is a book to delight any lover of words and language.