Product Description

The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language is one of the publishing phenomena of recent times. Rarely has a book so packed with accurate and well researched factual information been so widely read and popularly acclaimed. It has played a key role in the spread of general interest in language matters, generating further publications and broadcasting events for an avid audience. Its First Edition appeared in hardback in 1995 and a revised paperback in 1997. There have been numerous subsequent updated reprintings; but this Second Edition now presents an overhaul of the subject for a new generation of language-lovers and of teachers, students and professional English-users concerned with their own linguistic legacy. The length of the book has been extended and there are 44 new illustrations, extensive new material on world English and Internet English, and a complete updating of statistics, further reading suggestions and other references.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #21510 in Books
• Published on: 2003-08-04
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 506 pages

Review
‘A delight and a treasure … David Crystal does a brilliant job of satisfying our curiosity about our mother tongue while illuminating the deepest questions of who we are and where we come from. A magnificent achievement.’ Steven Pinker

‘David Crystal is phenomenal … This is a prodigious achievement … The book contains breadth of range, imaginative insight, and deep understanding … It is pervasively readable and stimulating.’ Professor the Lord Quirk, FBA

‘… a superb work that manages to be both scholarly and vastly entertaining … This is a deeply impressive book, for it packs between two covers virtually everything any normal person might care to know about English.’ The Washington Post Book World

‘… bedazzles … with an eye-popping presentation of … the mother tongue.’ The New York Times ‘… scholarly and entertaining … the range, scholarly value, interest, attractiveness and (often) humour of the tables, graphics, illustrations, photographs, colour plates, maps, and quoted material is quite stunning. rarely has serious information been presented so colourfully, so strikingly. A splendid work, essential in all libraries and destined to live a long and useful life.’ Reference Reviews

‘I have been unable to think of a question this book cannot answer … I will risk predicting that Professor Crystal will not be superseded much before the message sent into space on Voyager I... receives an answer.’ The Times Literary Supplement

‘… it gives … the whole history and grammar, all the theory and practice of English with precision, panache and wit.’ The Observer

‘… without a doubt one of the most beautiful and enlightening volumes I have handled in some years.’ Western Australia Sunday Times ‘… an outstanding work … The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language will surely remain the definite text in the field for some time to come.’ fun-with-words.com

‘…the most diverting, delightful, imaginative and altogether entertaining compilation ever assembled about spoken and written English.’ Parade Magazine

‘… bedazzles you with an eye-popping presentation of the cluck-clucking of the mother tongue. If you like fireworks with your information, this is a worthwhile language book..." William Safire, The New York Times Magazine ‘… this remarkable book is a goldmine of learning and knowledge … All readers … should find great value, and great pleasure, in this amazing reference book.’ Cambridge

‘… contains a monstrous amount of information on a fascinating topic arranged in a clear, concise, and, above all, entertaining manner - a dangerous combination indeed, and one that can only lead to uncontrolable reading binges lasting hours or perhaps days.’ Quill and Quire

‘You can open it to any page and be enthralled.’ Indianapolis News ‘the Encyclopedia is, of course, a serious work of scholarship, but it is eminently readable.’ The Hindu

‘… offers a wealth of enlightening entertainment. You can’t turn a page without learning some fascinating tidbit about our common tongue.’ Houston Chronicle

‘Fully illustrated in colour throughout, this readable, stimulating reference book will appeal not only to teachers and students of English, but also to anyone who uses, and loves, the language.’ The Good Book Guide

'A delight for language lovers. The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language provides a comprehensive overview of the language.' The Guardian ‘… a marvellous, dip-in, refer to cornucopia of a book …’. Writers’ Forum

‘For the love of English! Linguistic fanatics will delight in this new edition of The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language … Written with great wit, flair and fluency, the encyclopaedia is a truly enjoyable read. It will develop in the reader a whole new appreciation of the English language.’ The Star, Malaysia

About the Author
David Crystal is one of the world's foremost authorities on language.

Customer Reviews

Essential
This book is essential for anyone studying language or linguistics at degree level. Crystal is the man when it comes to this subject and I'm sure this book and many more of his will be assisting me with the MA in Linguistics that I plan to pursue. It is books like this that have fed my enthusiasm for the English language and encouraged further study!

An EXCELLENT all round look at the English Language.
This book is excellent for looking at linguistics surrounding the English language. It gives good summaries of topics including most of the relevant details, without overloading you with unnecessary information. The book is as its title says 'an encyclopaedia'. It's meant for quick reference. There are a range of tables, graphs and maps, which makes interpreting data quick and simple. This book is good for all those studying linguistics and those who have just a remote interest in the subject. I would highly recommend this book.

EXCELLENT but where to start?
A: At anypoint of interest .As a student of Linguistics and the English language at the University of Wales, Bangor, this is an invaluble book. As an introduction to the English language you'll find you can't put it down. Facts you never knew before from the history of the English language to English as a global language. For general reading, you'll discover a facinating insight to the language that we use every day without much consideration. Easy to pick up, impossible to put down.