New Book by Prof. Seth Lerer - Inventing English: A Portable History of the Language
Seth Lerer’s
Inventing English is a masterful, engaging history of the English language from the age of
Beowulf to the rap of Eminem. Many have written about the evolution of grammar, pronunciation, and vocabulary, but only Lerer situates these developments in the larger history of English, America, and literature. Each concise chapter illuminates a moment of invention--a time when people discovered a new form of expression or changed the way they spoke or wrote. In conclusion, Lerer wonders whether globalization and technology have turned English into a world language that reflects on what has been preserved and what has been lost. A unique blend of historical and personal narrative,
Inventing English is a surprising tale of a language that is as dynamic as the people to whom it belongs.
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