Fixing English: Prescriptivism and Language History by Anne Curzan

Description: 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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EAN: 9781107020757

UPC: 9781107020757

ISBN: 9781107020757

MPN: N/A

Number of Pages: 208 Pages

Language: English

Publication Name: Fixing English : Prescriptivism in the History of English

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Subject: Grammar & Punctuation, Linguistics / Historical & Comparative

Item Height: 0.6 in

Publication Year: 2014

Item Weight: 15.9 Oz

Type: Textbook

Item Length: 9.3 in

Subject Area: Language Arts & Disciplines

Author: Anne Curzan

Item Width: 6.2 in

Format: Hardcover