Bergs Alexander, Brinton Laurel J. (Eds.). English Historical Linguistics: An International Handbook: Volume 1

Walter de Gruyter, 2012. — 1197 p. — (Handbücher zur Sprach- und Kommunikationswissenschaft 34.1).The handbook English Historical Linguistics offers in more than 130 articles in two volumes a comprehensive, interdisciplinary and theory neutral overview of all central aspects of the history of English.
The first volume contains detailed descriptions of the individual linguistic levels, from phonology to syntax, semantics and pragmatics, for each period of the language, from Old English to Late Modern English. Moreover, the volume offers chapters on particular topics pertaining to individual periods such as the ‘Great Vowel Shift’, standardization, and do-periphrasis.
The second volume takes on a broader perspective and addresses more theoretical concerns. It covers topics such as resources for studying and teaching the history of English, historiography, the history of the discipline itself, theoretical approaches to studying language variation and change, including recent research trends, and the history of Englishes in the twentieth century and around the world.- comprehensive and descriptive overview of the entire language history of English,
- illustrates and discusses current trends, theories, and methods of the field,
- contains an overview of the history of historical linguistics as a discipline as well
- more than 100 articles with general introductions to the different subjects which are intelligible to all
- includes an extensive index