Fixing English
eBook - PDF

Fixing English

Prescriptivism and Language History

  1. English
  2. PDF
  3. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - PDF

Fixing English

Prescriptivism and Language History

About this book

Over the past 300 years, attempts have been made to prescribe how we should and should not use the English language. The efforts have been institutionalized in places such as usage guides, dictionaries, and school curricula. Such authorities have aspired to 'fix' the language, sometimes by keeping English exactly where it is, but also by trying to improve the current state of the language. Anne Curzan demonstrates the important role prescriptivism plays in the history of the English language, as a sociolinguistic factor in language change and as a vital meta-discourse about language. Starting with a pioneering new definition of prescriptivism as a linguistic phenomenon, she highlights the significant role played by Microsoft's grammar checker, debates about 'real words', non-sexist language reform, and efforts to reappropriate stigmatized terms. Essential reading for anyone interested in the regulation of language, the book is a fascinating re-examination of how we tell language history.

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Yes, you can access Fixing English by Anne Curzan in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Languages & Linguistics & Historical & Comparative Linguistics. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Half-title page
  3. Title page
  4. Copyright page
  5. Dedication
  6. Contents
  7. Figures
  8. Acknowledgements
  9. Introduction: does prescriptivism fail?
  10. 1 Prescriptivism’s umbrella: standards, style, restoration, and political intervention
  11. 2 Prescriptivism’s lessons: scope and “the history of English”
  12. 3 Checking grammar and grammar checkers
  13. 4 Dictionaries and the idea of “real words”
  14. 5 Nonsexist language reform and its effects
  15. 6 Reappropriation and challenges to institutionalized prescriptivism
  16. 7 Finding shared ground: public conversations about prescriptivism
  17. References
  18. Index