Now in a second edition, The English Language is an essential survey of the development of the language from its Indo-European past to the present day. The early chapters introduce students to the fundamental concepts they will need in order to understand phonological, morphological, syntactic, orthographic, semantic, and lexical changes in the language, before tracing the language's development through each of its major periods. The second edition offers enhanced discussion of such cutting-edge topics as the effects of media on language; the socio-cultural causes of change; computer-mediated communications; text messaging; and the sources and dialects of present day English. Current and in-depth, with a new quick reference guide and a comprehensive timeline of major events, the second edition is a compelling, invaluable resource on the history of the English language.

Laurel J. Brinton's profile page

Leslie K. Arnovick's profile page

Laurel J. Brinton, professor, University of British Columbia, specializes in English language studies and in the interface between language and literature. In addition to co-authoring The English Language: A Linguistic History, she is currently co-editing the two-volume Handbook of Historical English Linguistics (Mouton) and serves as an associate editor of the revision of the Dictionary of Canadianisms on Historical Principles.

Leslie K. Arnovick, professor, University of British Columbia, published her first book, The Development of Future Constructions in English, in 1991. In addition to co-authoring The English Language: A Linguistic History, she has also written several monographs profiling medieval English.

"Brinton and Arnovick's book is, I think, the best textbook in its field." --John Considine, University of Alberta

"The book is well organized and clear . . . without assuming a lot of knowledge on the part of students." --Richard J. Moll, University of Western Ontario