En este libro, David Crystal, una de las principales autoriades sobre cuestiones del lenguaje, reúne por primera vez las tres principalas tendencias que han alterado de manera fundamental el panorama lingüístico: la aparición del inglés como la primera lengua verdaderamente global; la crisis que afrontan gran número de lenguas que se hallan en peligro de extinción o prácticamente extintas, y la influencia de Internet al abrir nuevas vías de uso del lenguaje que han dado lugar a una fomra a la vez hablada y escrita, pero distinta de ambas.
This superbly well-informed - and also wonderfully entertaining - history of the English language answers all these questions, showing how the many strands of English (Standard English, dialect and slang among them) developed to create the richly-varied language of today.
Have you been flamed recently? Or pinged? Or felt 404? Do you know the difference between a MUD and a MOO? Or between a WAP and a WISP? Can you translate 8-o ? Or cu4T? Do you know what your country's domain name is? This exciting glossary provides all the answers. It includes an A to Z of the jargon entering the English language with the rise of the Internet and mobile phone technology, and it gives a dictionary-style treatment of those Internet terms which have begun to change their meaning in colloquial speech. Alongside a definition, each of these entries contains a set of illustrations showing contemporary usage, helping you to understand and - if you wish - actively participate in the cool communication of the electronic age. A Glossary of Netspeak and Textspeak also contains a comprehensive guide to the special languages that have developed within electronic media - smileys and text messaging - and a complete listing of Internet domain names. Features: * The first glossary of Internet and mobile phone terminology * Includes numerous examples of real usage * Written by a leading expert on language and linguistics * Contains comprehensive lists of special symbols.This book is a must-have for anyone wanting to keep pace with the revolutionary trends in English usage going on around them :-)
The rapid endangerment and death of many minority languages across the world is a matter of widespread concern, not only among linguists and anthropologists but among all concerned with issues of cultural identity in an increasingly globalized culture. By some counts, only 600 of the 6,000 or so languages in the world are 'safe' from the threat of extinction. A leading commentator and popular writer on language issues, David Crystal asks the fundamental question, 'Why is language death so important?', reviews the reasons for the current crisis, and investigates what is being done to reduce its impact. The book contains not only intelligent argument, but moving descriptions of the decline and demise of particular languages, and practical advice for anyone interested in pursuing the subject further.
We are living through the consequences of a linguistic revolution. Dramatic linguistic change has left us at the beginning of a new era in the evolution of human language, with repercussions for many individual languages. In this book, David Crystal, one of the world's authorities on language, brings together for the first time the three major trends which he argues have fundamentally altered the world's linguistic ecology: first, the emergence of English as the world's first truly global language; second, the crisis facing huge numbers of languages which are currently endangered or dying; and, third, the radical effect on language of the arrival of Internet technology. Examining the interrelationships between these topics, Crystal encounters a vision of a linguistic future which is radically different from what has existed in the past, and which will make us revise many cherished concepts relating to the way we think about and work with languages. Everyone is affected by this linguistic revolution.
The one reference that every family and office needs, The Penguin Encylcopedia contains more than 28,000 entries on the facts, events, issues, people, beliefs, and achievements that make up the sum of human knowledge and experience. Written in a clear, direct style by an international team of more than 350 experts, this indispensable reference illuminates even the most intricate concepts, from current affairs to history, science to philosophy, sports to music. Timely entries include SARS, Ozzie Osbourne and John Kerry, Hans Blix, the Iraq War and weapons of mass destruction. With a clear and easy-to-use design, The Penguin Encyclopedia assures that everything you need to know is right at your fingertips.
Rarely has a book so packed with accurate and well researched factual information been so widely read and popularly acclaimed. This Second Edition of The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language has been fully revised for a new generation of language-lovers. The book is longer and includes extensive new material on world English and Internet English, in addition to completely updated statistics, further reading suggestions and other references. First Edition Hb (1995): 0-521-40179-8 First Edition Pb (1997): 0-521-59655-6 David Crystal is a leading authority on language, and author of many books, including most recently Shakespeare's Words (Penguin, 2002), Language and the Internet (Cambridge, 2001) and Language Death (Cambridge, 2000). An internationally renowned writer, journal editor, lecturer and broadcaster, he received an Order of the British Empire in 1995 for his services to the English language.
A resource for students, scholars and actors, this book contains glosses and quotes for over 14,000 words that could be misunderstood or unknown to a modern audience. Plot summaries for all Shakespeare's plays are included as well as notes on specific areas of his language.
The New Penguin Concise Encyclopedia is an abridged edition of the bestselling New Penguin Encyclopedia. With over 21,000 entries, and nearly one million words, it is an invaluable and up-to-date source of information on subjects as diverse as current affairs and history, science and philosophy, sport and music, written in a clear direct style that illuminates even the most intricate concept.
