A History of the English Language

Albert C. Baugh, Thomas Cable

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2026
• Topic: Languages & Linguistics
• eBook ISBN:
  9781040642108
• Subtopic: Linguistics
• Index: Languages & Linguistics

A History of the English Language explores the linguistic and cultural development of English from the Roman conquest of England to the present day to provide a comprehensive overview of the different aspects of its history. This best-selling classic textbook encourages the reader to develop both an understanding of present-day English and an enlightened attitude toward the issues affecting the language today.

Fully revised and updated, the new edition includes the latest developments in the field and offers:

• an updated coverage of corpus linguistics and the development of syntax
• current debates about pronouns, technology and the internet
• revised discussions on dialects in the UK and US
• expanded coverage of Global Englishes and a fuller discussion of language contact
• newly organized and updated chapter bibliographies.

Balanced and wide-ranging, this textbook is a must-read for any student studying the history of the English language.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half-Title Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• Figure: The Counties of England
• List of Maps
• List of Illustrations
• Preface
• Phonetic Symbols
• 1 English Present and Future
• 2 The Indo-European Family of Languages
• 3 Old English
• 4 Foreign Influences on Old English
• 5 The Norman Conquest and the Subjection of English, 1066–1200
• 6 The Reestablishment of English, 1200–1500
• 7 Middle English
• 8 The Renaissance, 1500–1650
• 9 The Appeal to Authority, 1650–1800
• 10 The Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries
• 11 The English Language in America
• 12 The Twenty-First Century
• Appendix A: Specimens of the Middle English Dialects
• Appendix B: English Spelling
• Index