Bill Bryson. The Mother Tongue: English and How It Got That Way

The Mother Tongue (ISBN: 0-380-71543-0) is a book by Bill Bryson which compiles the history and origins of the English and the language's various quirks. It is subtitled English And How It Got That Way. The book discusses the Indo-European origins of English, the growing status of English as a global language, the complex etymology of English words, the dialects of English, spelling reform, prescriptive grammar, and more minor topics including swearing. This account popularises the subject and makes it accessible to the lay reader; but Bryson's book has been criticised for some inaccuracies, such as the perpetuation of several urban myths.With dazzling wit and astonishing insight, Bill Bryson—the acclaimed author of The Lost Continent—brilliantly explores the remarkable history, eccentricities, resilience and sheer fun of the English language. From the first descent of the larynx into the throat (why you can talk but your dog can't), to the fine lost art of swearing, Bryson tells the fascinating, often uproarious story of an inadequate, second-rate tongue of peasants that developed into one of the world's largest growth industries.The Mother Tongue: English and How It Got That Way.
Dedication.1. The World’s Language.
2. The Dawn of Language.
3. Global Language.
4. The First Thousand Years.
5. Where Words Come From.
6. Pronunciation.
7. Varieties of English.
8. Spelling.
9. Good English and Bad.
10. Order out of Chaos.
11. Old World, New World.
12. English as a World Language.
13. Names.
14. Swearing.
15. Wordplay.
16. The Future of English.
Select Bibliography.About the Author.
Books by Bill Bryson.
ISBN13: 9780380715435.
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers.
Publication date: 10/23/2001.
Edition description: Reissue.
Pages: 320.