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Spell it Out: The Singular Story of English Spelling
David Crystal
€ 14.99
€ 11.41
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Description for Spell it Out: The Singular Story of English Spelling
Paperback. Why is there an 'h' in ghost? William Caxton, inventor of the printing press and his Flemish employees are to blame: without a dictionary or style guide to hand in fifteenth century Bruges, the typesetters simply spelled it the way it sounded to their foreign cars, and it stuck. This book takes you on a journey through English spelling. Num Pages: 336 pages, Illustrations. BIC Classification: 2AB; CBX. Category: (G) General (US: Trade). Dimension: 132 x 202 x 21. Weight in Grams: 276.
Why is there an 'h' in ghost? William Caxton, inventor of the printing press and his Flemish employees are to blame: without a dictionary or style guide to hand in fifteenth century Bruges, the typesetters simply spelled it the way it sounded to their foreign ears, and it stuck. Seventy-five per cent of English spelling is regular but twenty-five per cent is complicated, and in Spell It Out our foremost linguistics expert David Crystal extends a helping hand to the confused and curious alike. He unearths the stories behind the rogue words that confound us, and explains why these peculiarities entered the mainstream, in an epic journey taking in sixth century monks, French and Latin upstarts, the Industrial Revolution and the internet. By learning the history and the principles, Crystal shows how the spellings that break all the rules become easier to get right.
Product Details
Publisher
Profile Books Ltd
Number of pages
224
Format
Paperback
Publication date
2013
Condition
New
Number of Pages
336
Place of Publication
London, United Kingdom
ISBN
9781846685682
SKU
V9781846685682
Shipping Time
Usually ships in 5 to 9 working days
Ref
99-97
About David Crystal
David Crystal is Honorary Professor of Linguistics at the University of Wales, Bangor. He has written many books and articles in fields ranging from forensic linguistics and ELT to the liturgy and Shakespeare. He is the author of The Story of English in 100 Words [9781846684272], published by Profile, and his Stories of English is a Penguin Classic.
Reviews for Spell it Out: The Singular Story of English Spelling
Entertaining ... Crystal's many examples show that the development of English spelling is as random, unsystematic and anomalous as the British constitution. English spelling is as rich a mixture of anachronism, privilege and fashion as the House of Lords
Sunday Times
A prolific author ... he can write with authority on trends in the spelling of rhubarb and indeed on the history of the spelling of any tricky word you care to mention. For him, the patterns are clear ... highly entertaining
Observer
A prolific author ... highly entertaining to read
Observer
Spectacular
Readers Digest
This masterly book is a deft guide with a light touch
Harry Mount
TLS
A spelling book with a difference
Yorkshire Gazette and Herald
Crystal's splendid book, the latest in a long line by this prolific language truffler, proceeds chronologically, deep in learning and characteristically light on its feet.
Marcus Berkmann
Daily Mail
A Must Read...An entertaining and fascinating study of how English spelling became so wildly inconsistent.
Sunday Times
The chaotic yet enthralling story of British spelling through the ages
Bookseller
Sunday Times
A prolific author ... he can write with authority on trends in the spelling of rhubarb and indeed on the history of the spelling of any tricky word you care to mention. For him, the patterns are clear ... highly entertaining
Observer
A prolific author ... highly entertaining to read
Observer
Spectacular
Readers Digest
This masterly book is a deft guide with a light touch
Harry Mount
TLS
A spelling book with a difference
Yorkshire Gazette and Herald
Crystal's splendid book, the latest in a long line by this prolific language truffler, proceeds chronologically, deep in learning and characteristically light on its feet.
Marcus Berkmann
Daily Mail
A Must Read...An entertaining and fascinating study of how English spelling became so wildly inconsistent.
Sunday Times
The chaotic yet enthralling story of British spelling through the ages
Bookseller