Dialect, slang and jargon Books

Book SynopsisThis Yiddish-English dictionary includes over 4,000 Romanized word-to-word entries; an appendix of idiomatic expressions & proverbs; and an appendix of common words used in the English language.

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Book SynopsisThis dictionary defines a myriad of phrases and sayings that are used daily in the English language. It contains more than 10,000 idioms, including figurative expressions, similes, sayings, and proverbs, and features usage examples and information on origins for many of them.Trade ReviewI'm impressed with this book ... it has, so far, delivered the goods every time I've consulted it about a particular expression ... A brilliant addition to your reference collection * Terry Freedman, Writer's Know-How *Table of ContentsPreface A-Z Text Thematic Index

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Book SynopsisIncluded in the TLS Books of the Year 2023 Written by an author brought up in working-class Liverpool in the 1960s and 1970s, Liverpool: A Memoir of Words is a work of creative non-fiction that combines the study of language in Liverpool with social history, the history of the English language and personal memoir. A beautifully written book, based on a lifetime’s academic research, it explores the relationship between language and memory, and demonstrates the ways in which words are enmeshed in history and history in words. Starting with ‘Ace’ and weaving its way alphabetically to ‘Z-Cars’, the work illustrates the deep relationship that has been forged in the past two hundred years or so between a form of language, a place and a social identity. The account is funny, sad, full of surprises and always illuminating. It tells the real history of ‘Scouse’, details the multicultural complexity of Liverpool English, examines the common use of ‘plazzymorphs’, and shows how Liverpudlian words exemplify standard processes of change and development. Neither a memoir, dictionary or history book, this work crosses different fields of knowledge in order to weave an engaging and fascinating story. It is a book that will educate and delight Liverpudlians, students of language and social historians alike.Trade Review‘Liverpool is a city that treasures words. Here Tony Crowley joyfully opens the treasure chest and holds words up to the light of history, politics, memory and love. A gold mine of a book.’ Frank Cottrell-Boyce‘Both dazzlingly erudite and refreshingly readable, Tony Crowley’s book, which is part memoir and part cultural history, brings Scouse to life, showing us with abundant humour and grace the many ways we use language and language uses us.’ Professor Deryn Rees-Jones, University of Liverpool‘By means of a lexicon of keywords in Liverpudlian English, Tony Crowley is able to interweave personal, social and linguistic history, drawing upon native wit, etymological erudition and a remarkable recollection of childhood years. Shorn of condescension and prejudice, the Liverpool vernacular with which he grew up is analysed with an accentuated sense of time and place that historians can but admire. So much more than a personal memoir, here is a significant work on the social and cultural history of Liverpool, wondrous place.’ Professor John Belchem, University of Liverpool, author of Irish, Catholic and Scouse‘As a poet from “over-the-water”, Liverpool: A Memoir of Words offers an enjoyable exploration of vernacular language. Recognising the nuanced differences, edges and boundaries between localities within a city and its wider region, Tony Crowley places emphasis on variation and change, on the many-voiced reality of Merseyside, creating a perspective on the region which is both highly specific and yet coursing with the flow of historical tides. Language shifts as does identity, and by hearing and noting these linguistic changes an account is offered of how Liverpool and the wider region reimagines itself in response to its legacy as a port city and as a coastal landscape, of being of the land and always of the water.’ Dr Eleanor Rees, Liverpool Hope University‘Who has done the most for Liverpool – the Beatles, Ken Dodd, Wayne Rooney? In scholarship the answer has to be Tony Crowley… Touching, sceptical and massively well-informed, it’s an ace book, wackers.’ John Kerrigan, Times Literary SupplementTable of ContentsIntroduction: Our Common Language Ace Bommie Cash Dekko Easy Six Footy Gobshite Hard Ippies and Ozzies Jigger Kop Liverpool Mersey Nark Ollies Proddydog Queg Rozzer Scouse Togs Us Vaults Woollyback Xy Yonks Z-Cars

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Book SynopsisMost of us are aware that words such as geometry, mathematics, phobia and hypochondria derive from ancient Greek, but did you know that marmalade, pirate, sketch and purse can also trace their linguistic origins back to the Athens of 500 bce? This book offers a word-by-word look at the influence of Greek on everyday words in English, telling the stories behind the etymological developments of each example and tracing their routes into modern English via Latin and European languages. It also explains connections with ancient Greek culture, in particular mythology, politics and warfare, and includes proverbs and quotations from Greek literature. Taken together, these words show how we are deeply indebted to the language spoken in Athens 2,500 years ago for the everyday vocabulary we use when conducting our daily business.Trade Review'This book is an etymologist's dream.' * Training Language and Culture *

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Book Synopsis"Guy Deutscher is that rare beast, an academic who talks good sense about linguistics... he argues in a playful and provocative way, that our mother tongue does indeed affect how we think and, just as important, how we perceive the world." Observer *Does language reflect the culture of a society? *Is our mother-tongue a lens through which we perceive the world? *Can different languages lead their speakers to different thoughts? In Through the Language Glass, acclaimed author Guy Deutscher will convince you that, contrary to the fashionable academic consensus of today, the answer to all these questions is - yes. A delightful amalgam of cultural history and popular science, this book explores some of the most fascinating and controversial questions about language, culture and the human mind.Trade ReviewJaw-droppingly wonderful ... A marvellous and surprising book which left me breathless and dizzy with delight. The ironic, playful tone at the beginning gradates into something serious that is never pompous, intellectually and historically complex and yet always pellucidly laid out. Plus I learned the word plaidoyer which I shall do my utmost to use every day * Stephen Fry *Fabulously interesting ... a remarkably rich, provocative and intelligent work of pop science * Sunday Times *Brilliant [and] beautifully written * Financial Times *So robustly researched and wonderfully told that it is hard to put down * New Scientist *A delight to read * Spectator *

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Book Synopsis''A persuasive and beautifully written take on how languages are constantly evolving... an enthralling read about human psychology and anthropology as well as linguistics.'' ALEX BELLOS___________________________________''Language is mankind''s greatest invention - except of course, that it was never invented''. So begins Guy Deutscher''s fascinating investigation into the evolution of language. No one believes that the Roman Senate sat down one day to design the complex system that is Latin grammar, and few believe, these days, in the literal truth of the story of the Tower of Babel. But then how did there come to be so many languages, and of such elaborate design? If we started off with rudimentary utterances on the level of ''man throw spear'', how did we end up with sophisticated grammars, enormous vocabularies, and intricately nuanced shades of meaning?Drawing on recent, groundbreaking discoveries in modern linguistics, Deutscher exposes the elusive forces of creation at work in human communication. Along the way, we learn why German maidens are neuter while German turnips are female, why we have feet not foots, and how great changes in pronunciation may result from simple laziness..._____________________''Powerful and thrilling'' SPECTATOR''Really ought to be read by anyone who persists in complaining that the English language is going to the dogs'' SUNDAY TELEGRAPH''I was enthralled'' A.S. Byatt, for GUARDIAN ''Books of the Year''''Highly original... clever and convincing... this book will stretch your mind'' INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY''Fascinating'' BOSTON GLOBETrade Review'Highly original... Brilliant... How did...regular and complex languages come to exist? Deutscher's chosen task is to unravel [a] paradox, and he does so brilliantly, witholding the secret with great skill. If I told you how it works, you wouldn't buy the book. Both clever and convincing... this book will stretch your mind' Independent on Sunday'I was enthralled by Guy Deutscher's The Unfolding of Language, a history of how words came to take the forms they do, and therefore a history of the forms of the human mind.' * A.S. Byatt in the Guardian 'Books of the Year *Fascinating... Any curious reader...will find something worth knowing in The Unfolding of Language' * Boston Globe *

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Book SynopsisThe Pocket Scots Dictionary, based on the Concise Scots Dictionary, provides information on Scots language for the general public and for schools in a compact and user-friendly form. * Scots words old and new, general and local * Clear, simple definitions * Pronunciation guide for difficult words * Literary uses as in Burns and Scott * Brief history of Scots

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Book SynopsisPull up a bollard and get to know the colourful language of the Royal Canadian Navy.Do you ever get channel fever so bad only a great homeward bounders will cure you? Have you ever met Tug Wilson the brass-pounder, Dusty Miller the blanket stacker, or Nobby Clark the stoker? From aback to zizEX, the second edition of Jackspeak of the Royal Canadian Navy gives readers a chance to fill their boots with the colourful language of Canada's senior service. Learn the difference between duff and no duff, box kickers and gut robbers, and Nelson's blood and Neptune's dandruff. Newly revised and expanded, with over 2,500 terms included!Trade ReviewToday’s RCN needs this book as a bridge between the experienced sailors and the new entries ... An outstanding resource! * — Chief Petty Officer Chris Radimer (retired) *It’s wonderful to see such an outstanding collection of the words and phrases I have passed on to many young sailors in my forty-three years of naval service. * — Chief Petty Officer Fred Haight (retired) *A delightful read, for both mariners and non-mariners alike! Despite having over 25 years in the Royal Canadian Navy, I learned a few new terms reading this book. The author, who first introduced me as a very green Ordinary Seaman to the Naval world, has done a wonderful job capturing the unique nature of Naval speak. I would recommend this book to any new and even seasoned sailors to gain a better understanding of life at sea. * — Commander Jason Karle, OIC Sea Training (Atlantic) – Patrol, RCN *

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Book Synopsis'It's fantastic ... Exactly the book that everybody needs...' Simon Mayo_____Sometimes we all need a little reminder that it's going to be okay... Open The Cabinet of Calm to discover a comforting word that's equal to your troubles.The Cabinet of Calm has been designed to be picked up whenever you need a moment of serenity. Just select the emotion listed that reflects whatever you're feeling and you'll be offered a matching linguistic remedy: fifty-one soothing words for troubled times.These kind words - alongside their definitions and their stories - will bring peace, comfort and delight, and provide fresh hope.Written with a lightness of touch, The Cabinet of Calm shows us that we're not alone. Like language, our emotions are universal: someone else has felt like this before and so there's a word to help, whatever the challenge.So much more than a book of words, The Cabinet of Calm will soothe your soul and ease your mind. It's the perfect gift._____From inside The Cabinet Of Calm...'RESPAIR': a word for a renewed or reinvigorated hope, or a recovery from anguish or hopelessness.'WORLDCRAFT': a collective term for the unique skills, wisdom and experience that an older person has amassed in their lifetime.'MELIORISM': the belief that all things, no matter how bad, can always be improved - given enough determination from people willing to improve them.'SYMMACHY': the act of joining or working together to produce a stronger force than could ever be managed individually - especially in order to overcome something that affects us all.

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Book SynopsisIt's not what you say, it's the way that you say it ... There have long been debates about 'correct' pronunciation in the English language, and Britain's most distinguished linguistic expert, David Crystal, is here to set the record straight. Sounds Appealing tells us exactly why, and how, we pronounce words as we do. Pronunciation is integral to communication, and is tailored to meet the demands of the two main forces behind language: intelligibility and identity. Equipping his readers with knowledge of phonetics, linguistics and physiology - with examples ranging from Eliza Doolittle to Winston Churchill - David Crystal explores the origins of regional accents, how they are influenced by class and education, and how their peculiarities have changed over time.Trade ReviewPrevious praise for David Crystal: Crystal's book is full of distractions and delights * Daily Express *Refreshing and briskly written ... Crystal shows that grammar is not nearly as tedious as it can seem * Sunday Times *If the history of language is a sort of labyrinth, David Crystal is an excellent guide * The Age, Australia *Delicious revelations ... Crystal does an excellent job, not just of tracing the etymology of a word, but of relating it to social history, painting a picture of our times through words * Independent on Sunday *

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Book SynopsisLas variedades del mundo hispano tiene un acercamiento nuevo a la dialectología española, ya que guía a los estudiantes por las macrovariedades fascinantes y diversas del mundo hispano.Un libro de texto único escrito en español que ofrece una introducción atractiva y accesible a la dialectología española, sus ámbitos claves incluyen: la cobertura de España, Sudamérica, Centroamérica, y Norteamérica; el libro de texto contiene una mezcla ideal de teoría y práctica; secciones de Práctica que contienen ejercicios para reforzar el aprendizaje; e incluye actividades que invitan a los estudiantes a explorar materiales de video y audio en el sitio web que acompaña el libro de texto. Además, el libro de texto incluye un componente de redes sociales que deja que los estudiantes aprendan en un formato que ha sido poco utilizado en cursos universitarios.Aunque principalmente fue diseñado para estudiantes de dialectología y fonética, tanto a nivel subgraduado como Table of ContentsUNIDAD 1: LOS ELEMENTOS BÁSICOS Y LA VARIACIÓN LECTAL EN ESPAÑA1. Introducción a la fonética y fonología españolas1.0 Introducción1.1 ¿Qué es el alfabeto fonético internacional?1.2 Fonética y fonología españolas1.3 La transcripción fonética1.4 Los inventarios de consonantes y vocales1.5 Contenido adicional1.6 Práctica2. La dialectología: la geografía e historia2.0 Introducción2.1 ¿Cómo se ve un mapa (lingüístico) del mundo hispano?2.2 Los países hispanohablantes y sus capitales2.3 La historia del español en España2.4 La historia del español en Latinoamérica2.5 Contenido adicional2.6 Práctica3. España: el centro-norteño3.0 Introducción3.1 ¿Por qué los españoles hablan con un sonido que suena como th en inglés?3.2 Las características fonéticas y fonológicas3.3 Las características morfosintácticas 3.4 Las características léxicas3.5 Contenido adicional3.6 Práctica4. España: el andaluz y el canario4.0 Introducción4.1 ¿Por qué no pronuncian la letra s al final de las palabras?4.2 Las características fonéticas y fonológicas4.3 Las características morfosintácticas 4.4 Las características léxicas4.5 Contenido adicional4.6 PrácticaUNIDAD 2: LAS MACROVARIEDADES EN NORTEAMÉRICA5. México5.0 Introducción5.1 ¿Por qué muchas palabras en México terminan en –ote?5.2 Las características fonéticas y fonológicas5.3 Las características morfosintácticas 5.4 Las características léxicas5.5 Contenido adicional5.6 Práctica6. Centroamérica6.0 Introducción6.1 ¿Por qué mis amigos de Guatemala me tratan de vos?6.2 Las características fonéticas y fonológicas6.3 Las características morfosintácticas 6.4 Las características léxicas6.5 Contenido adicional6.6 Práctica7. El Caribe7.0 Introducción7.1 ¿Por qué mi amigo dice hablal en vez de hablar?7.2 Las características fonéticas y fonológicas7.3 Las características morfosintácticas 7.4 Las características léxicas7.5 Contenido adicional7.6 Práctica8. El español en los EE. UU.8.0 Introducción8.1 ¿Cuál es la diferencia entre Spanglish y el español de los Estados Unidos?8.2 Las características fonéticas y fonológicas8.3 Las características morfosintácticas 8.4 Las características léxicas8.5 Contenido adicional8.6 PrácticaUNIDAD 3: LAS MACROVARIEDADES EN SUDAMÉRICA9. La región andina9.0 Introducción9.1 ¿Qué es ese sonido que oigo cuando dicen "ella compró el pollo"?9.2 Las características fonéticas y fonológicas9.3 Las características morfosintácticas 9.4 Las características léxicas9.5 Contenido adicional9.6 Práctica10. Río de la Plata10.0 Introducción10.1 ¿Por qué escucho un sonido como sh cuando dicen "Yo ya la llamé"?10.2 Las características fonéticas y fonológicas10.3 Las características morfosintácticas 10.4 Las características léxicas10.5 Contenido adicional10.6 Práctica11. La región central y sureña de Chile11.0 Introducción11.1 ¿Hay la forma de vosotros en Chile?11.2 Las características fonéticas y fonológicas11.3 Las características morfosintácticas 11.4 Las características léxicas11.5 Contenido adicional11.6 Práctica12. Paraguay12.0 Introducción12.1 Dado que el guaraní es un idioma oficial allí, ¿Cuál es la situación lingüística allí?12.2 Las características fonéticas y fonológicas12.3 Las características morfosintácticas 12.4 Las características léxicas12.5 Contenido adicional12.6 PrácticaEl epílogoE.0 Introducción al capítuloE.1 ¿Dónde se habla el español en el continente africano?E.2 Los territorios españoles en MarruecosE.3 La haketía E.4 El caso particular de GibraltarE.5 Guinea EcuatorialE.6 PrácticaLos apéndicesA1. El Alfabeto Fonético Internacional (AFI)A2. Los principales fonos (en AFI) del españolA3. ¡Mejoremos la pronunciación!A4. La acentuación en la ortografíaA5. La transcripción para más de una palabra

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Book SynopsisDialectologÃa hispÃnica / The Routledge Handbook of Spanish Dialectology es una obra coral que presenta las Ãltimas investigaciones sobre las variedades actuales de la lengua espanola en todas sus geografÃas, sumando los conocimientos de un importante nÃmero de especialistas en la materia.Este volumen consta de 49 capÃtulos, distribuidos en cuatro secciones, que ofrecen informaciÃn actualizada sobre la realidad dialectal del espanol y reflejan los conocimientos disponibles sobre la lengua y sus variedades. Este libro, amplio e innovador, explora el modo en que diversas especialidades lingÃÃsticas se interesan por la variaciÃn dialectal, desde la historia hasta la informÃtica, pasando por la fonÃtica, la gramÃtica y la lexicografÃa, entre otras disciplinas. Desde una interpretaciÃn multidimensional de los espacios dialectales, este manual asocia la variaciÃn geolingÃÃstica no sÃlo con la historia y la sociologÃa, sino tambiÃn con factores Ãtnicos, estilÃsticos y cognitivos.Esta obra es idÃnea para todos los investigadores interesados en la lingÃÃstica del espanol, la variaciÃn lingÃÃstica y el contacto de lenguas, asà como para estudiantes de grado y posgrado. En ella se explora en profundidad la dialectologÃa del espanol en todas las expresiones del espacio hispanohablante.DialectologÃa hispÃnica / The Routledge Handbook of Spanish Dialectology is a choral work that provides the latest research on the current varieties of the Spanish language in all its geographies, collating expertise from a wealth of leading scholars in the subject.This volume is comprised of 49 chapters, distributed in four sections, which offer up-to-date information on the dialectal reality of Spanish and reflect the knowledge available on the language and its varieties. This comprehensive and innovative book explores the way in which various linguistic specialities are interested in dialectal variation, from history to computer science, including phonetics, grammar and lexicography, among other disciplines. Displaying a commitment to a multidimensional view of dialectal spaces, this handbook associates geolinguistic variation not only with history and sociology, but also with ethnic, stylistic and cognitive factors.Presenting an in-depth exploration of Spanish dialectology in all its expressions across the Spanish-speaking space, this resource is ideal for all researchers interested in Spanish linguistics, linguistic variation and language contact, as well as for undergraduate and graduate students.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"One of FiveBooks' Best Philosophy Books of 2019"

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Book SynopsisA concise and entertaining guide to England's Scouse dialect, spoken in Liverpool and surrounding areas.

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Book SynopsisFor the 411 on American slang, this guidebook is the top bananaFrom "head trip" to "foot in mouth," American Slang Dictionary gives you the complete definitions of thousands of uniquely American words and phrases, ranging from golden oldies such as "catch some rays" and "take the fifth" to more up-to-the-minute coinages like Wall Street's "jonx," the Internet's "ping," and the gangsta's favorite, "shizzle."Inside you'll find more than 12,000 words and expressions from a wide variety of sources, including gangsta rap, the blogosphere, and the U.S. prison system. In a New York minute, you'll be down with the colloquialisms, vulgarities, and substandard English that make everyday interactions in contemporary American life so colorful.BSOD or blue screen of death the blue computer screen that appears after a programming or operational errorcrunk wild; crazy; out of controlkvetch to complainleft-handed monkey wrenchTable of ContentsHow to Use This DictionaryIntroductionTerms, Symbols, and AbbreviationsPronunication GuideDictionaryIndex of Hidden Key WordsThematic Index

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Book SynopsisShape up your English with thousands of idiomsWhether you are a learner of English who is having difficulty understanding expressions in everyday speech or a native speaker who wants to expand your written or spoken range, you need a comprehensive reference for idioms, common phrases, and sayings of American English. McGraw-Hill's American Idioms Dictionary shows you the ropes of English and helps you: Expand your English-speaking abilities with these 14,000-plus expressions, proverbs, and common sayings, listed alphabetically Use American idioms correctly by following the many helpful examples Easily find the right phrase by one of its key words Some examples of the colorful English language, as spoken by Americans:at peace relaxed and happyevery trick in the book every deceptive method knownJohnny-on-the-spot someone who is in the right place at the right timemake a killing to hTable of ContentsPrefaceTerms and SymbolsAbout this DictionaryDictionaryPhrase-Finder IndexThematic IndexAppendix

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Book SynopsisIrving Lewis Allen provides an insightful history of the rise of New York as a metropolis and the accompanying slang that surrounded it. Anecdotal and at times analytical, this book is both a lexicon of slang and a history of recent casual language.Trade Review"A lively piece of popular scholarship."--The New Yorker "Mr. Allen has written a 'book on words about the city' that makes a provocative cultural history. Like Whitman, who is the patron saint of the volume and whose words open each chapter, 'Mr. Allen is 'through Manhattan's streets...walking, these things gathering."--New York Times "An unusual and interesting cultural history of urban life....A readable study of interest to urban and cultural historians and linguists as well as a general audience."--Publishers Weekly "Charmingly written."--Contemporary Sociology

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Book SynopsisMichael Adams begins his book with a synopsis of the programme''s history and a defence of ephemeral language. He then moves to the main body of the work: a detailed glossary of slayer slang, annotated with actual dialogue and recorded in the style accepted by the American Dialect Society. The book concludes with a bibliography and a lengthy index, a guide to sources (novels based on the show, magazine articles about the show, and language culled from the official posting board) and an appendix of slang-making suffixes. Introduced by Jane Espenson, one of the show''s most inventive writers (and herself a linguist), Slayer Slang offers a quintessential example of contemporary youth culture serving as a vehicle for slang. bitca n [AHD4 bitch n in sense 2.a + a] Bitch 1997 Sep 15 Whedon When She Was Bad [Willow:] ''I mean, why else would she be acting like such a b-i-t-c-h?'' [Giles:] ''Willow, I think we''re all a little old to be spelling things out.'' [Xander:] ''A bitca?'' break and enterish adj [AHD4 sv breaking and entering n + -ish suff in sense 2.a] Suitable for crime 1999 Mar 16 Petrie Enemies I''ll go home and stock up on weapons, slip into something a little more break and enterish. [B] carbon-dated adj [fr. AHD4 carbondating + -ed] Very out of date 1997 Mar 10 Whedon Welcome to the Hellmouth [Buffy:] ''Deal with that outfit for a moment.'' [Giles:] ''It''s dated?'' [Buffy:] ''It''s carbon-dated.'' cuddle-monkey n [AHD4 cuddle v + monkey n in sense 2, by analogy fr. RHHDAS (also DAS3 and NTC) sv cuddle bunny ''an affectionate, passionate, or sexually attractive young woman''] Male lover 1998 Feb 10 Noxon Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered Every woman in Sunnydale wants to make me her cuddle-monkey. [X]Trade Review"If you're curious about the word 'ubersuck,' or just want to remember which episode you first heard it in, this is the place to look. As Buffy would say, it is not uncool."--Kansas City Star "While we were caught up in the drama of the battles against the undead...linguist Michael Adams was concentrating on the words. Slayer Slang is a combination dictionary of slayer slang/guide to the Buffyverse/textbook. Just consider it another sign Buffy will live forever."--Sacramento Bee "Even if you never watched the show, Slayer Slang provides major clueage about the formation of slang terms in general. Slang, after all, is where language vrooms and vibes--or, in the case of Buffy, where it vamps."--Hartford Courant "In applying linguistic analysis to the show, Adams not only shows how brilliant and innovative the writing was but also its toggling relationship to and influences upon popular culture."--Pittsburgh Tribune-Review "Will satisfy the inner geek of a Buffy fan."--Kansas City Star "If you're curious about the word 'ubersuck,' or just want to remember which episode you first heard it in, this is the place to look. As Buffy would say, it is not uncool."--Kansas City Star "With the meticulous precision of a Talmudic scholar, Michael Adams...records, classifies and analyzes the innovative slang and clever wordplay of the popular UPN series."--The Hartford Courant "Will satisfy the inner geek of a Buffy fan."--Kansas City Star "While we were caught up in the drama of the battles against the undead...linguist Michael Adams was concentrating on the words. Slayer Slang is a combination dictionary of slayer slang/guide to the Buffyverse/textbook. Just consider it another sign Buffy will live forever."--Sacramento Bee "Even if you never watched the show, Slayer Slang provides major clueage about the formation of slang terms in general. Slang, after all, is where language vrooms and vibes--or, in the case of Buffy, where it vamps."--Hartford Courant "In applying linguistic analysis to the show, Adams not only shows how brilliant and innovative the writing was but also its toggling relationship to and influences upon popular culture."--Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

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Book SynopsisIs today''s language at an all-time low? Edwin Battistella argues that it is wrong to think of slang, regional dialects and nonstandard grammar as simply breaking the rules of good English. Reexamining debates over relativism in language, Battistella argues that we should view language as made up of alternative forms of regularity and orderliness, which require informed engagement with usage.Trade Review...written for a non-scholarly audience, although it might be useful as a pre-course book for undergraduates... Books on this subject tend to adopt polarized positions, and while it is clear which end of the spectrum Battistella occupies, he writes in a style that would not automatically alienate those who initially disagreed with him. * The Year's Works in English Studies *Table of ContentsPreface Bad Language: Realism versus Relativism Anything Goes A Culture of Engagement Bad Writing The Craft of Writing Clear and Direct The Relativity of Style What is Good Writing? Bad Grammar Prescriptive Grammar The Emergence of Prescriptivism The Doctrines of Usage and Utility The English Language Arts and Beyond Conservatives and Progressives The Necessity for Grammar Bad Words Cursing in the Media and the Arts Offensive Language Bad Words as a Social Construction Slang as Bad Language Political Correctness Conventionalism and Comfort Levels Bad Citizens Birth of a Nation Native American Languages Manualism versus Oralism Restrictions on Foreign Languages Bilingual Education English Only One Flag, One Language Bad Accents Broken English Attitudes Toward Regional Dialects Ebonics Accomodating to the Idealized Mainstream Images and Engagement Imagining Language English Made Hard Beyond Simplistic Characterizations Notes Reference Index

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Book SynopsisLinguistic variation has most commonlu been studied in communities that have the dominant social organization of our time: occupation and ethnic diversity, socioeconomic stratification, and a population size that precludes community-wide face-to-face interaction. In such communities literacy introduces overarching, extra-community linguistic norms, and linguistic variation correlates with socioeconomic class. Investigating Variation explores a different kind of social organization: small size, enclavement, common occupation, absence of social stratification, bilingualism with extremely weak extra-community norming for the local minority language, which shows a very high level of individual variation. Nancy C. Dorian''s examination of the fisherfolk Gaelic spoken in a Highland Scottish village offers a number of explanations for delayed recognition of linguistic variation unrelated to social class or other social sub-groups. Reports of similar variation phenomena in locations with similar social-setting and social-organization features (contemporary minority-language pockets in Ireland, Russia, Norway, Canada, and Cameroon) make it possible to recognize a particular set of factors that contribute to the emergence and persistence of socially neutral inter-speaker and intra speaker variation. The documented existence of still other forms of social organization, rare now but once more widespread, suggests that additional forms of linguistic variation, as well as other facets of language use related to social organization, remain unexamined, calling for attention before the few communities that represent them disappear altogether.Table of Contents1. The Variation Puzzle ; 2. The East Sutherland Fishing Communities ; 3. Dimensions of Linguistic Variation in a Socioeconomically Homogeneous Population ; 4. A General Introduction to Speakers and Variables ; 5. A Close Look at Some Embo Variables and their Use ; 6. Kin Groups, Peer Groups, and Variation ; 7. Speech Norms, Accommodation, and Speaking Well in Gaelic Embo ; 8. Socially Neutral Linguistic Variation: Where, Why, What for, and How? ; 9. Conclusion ; Notes ; References

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Book SynopsisRhyming slang is a subject of perennial interest to the general language-conscious public. Entries are arranged in subject areas, such as clothing, food and drink, and animals. John Ayto explores the range and development of rhyming slang during its 150 year history, from traditional Cockney Rhyming Slang to the popney rhyming slang of today.Trade ReviewReview from previous edition An exemplary piece of editing . . . Ayto's book is the best and most entertaining so far * The Spectator *Covers virtually every aspect of the human condition * Evening Standard *Table of ContentsINTRODUCTION; THEMATIC SECTIONS; INDEX

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Book SynopsisSlang, however one judges it, shows us at our most human. It is used widely and often, typically associated with the writers of noir fiction, teenagers, and rappers, but also found in the works of Shakespeare and Dickens. It has been recorded since at least 1500 AD, and today''s vocabulary, taken from every major English-speaking country, runs to over 125,000 slang words and phrases. This Very Short Introduction takes readers on a wide-ranging tour of this fascinating sub-set of the English language. It considers the meaning and origins of the word ''slang'' itself, the ideas that a make a word ''slang'', the long-running themes that run through slang, and the history of slang''s many dictionaries.ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Trade Reviewa welcome edition of Oxford's Very Short Introductions, and anyone seeking an accessible tour d'horizon of this lively subject will find that Green's book is just the ticket. * Benjamin George Friedman, Times Literary Supplement *Table of Contents1. 'Slang': the word ; 2. 'Slang' as a linguistic register ; 3. Is slang a language? ; 4. The words of slang: themes and development ; 5. The users of slang ; 6. The components of slang ; 7. Recording slang ; 8. The lexicography of slang: slang's dictionaries ; 9. The future of slang

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Book SynopsisDrawing on the unique resources of the Oxford English Dictionary and offering coverage of over 6,000 slang words and expressions from the Cockney ''abaht'' to the American term ''zowie'', this is the most authoritative dictionary of slang from the 20th and 21st centuries. The Oxford Dictionary of Modern Slang is a fascinating and entertaining collection, packed with illustrative quotations and providing full details of origins and dates of first printed use. The text contains expressions from around the English-speaking world such as ''dork'' and ''cockamamie'' (North America) and ''giggle-house'' and ''Jimmy Woodser'' (Australia). As well as the A-Z listing of terms, the book contains a comprehensive thematic index, enabling users to home in on particular areas of interest, such as the body, food and drink, and human behaviour. Full of surprises, this is an essential read for word lovers and anyone with an interest in language.Trade ReviewThis book is a gab-fest. * Christopher Hirst, The Independent *Table of ContentsPREFACE TO SECOND EDITION; INTRODUCTION TO FIRST EDITION; PRONUNCIATION SYMBOLS; PRINCIPAL ABBREVIATIONS; DICTIONARY; THEMATIC INDEX

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Book SynopsisSpanish in Chicago is the first book-length study of Spanish in Chicago, where populations originating in both Mexico and Puerto Rico have lived in contact for generations and Latinos now comprise nearly a third of the population. Identifying Chicago as a rich site for examining language and dialect contact at both community and family levels, Kim Potowski and Lourdes Torres describe the spoken Spanish of Chicago, analyzing patterns of language change and identity constructions and establishing their likely causes.Drawing on interviews with 124 individuals across three generations of Mexican, Puerto Rican, and MexiRican Chicagoans, Potowski and Torres trace the effects of language and dialect contact through close sociolinguistic analysis of lexicon, discourse markers, codeswitching, the subjunctive, and phonology. Their analysis uniquely examines these features across three generations of speakers and two different regional origins within the same corpus. By including MexiRicans as a Table of ContentsChapter 1: Spanish in the U.S. and in Chicago: Contact and Loss Chapter 2: The Chicago (Chi-) Spanish (Spa-) "CHISPA" corpus Chapter 3: Lexical Familiarity Chapter 4: Discourse Markers Chapter 5: Codeswitching Chapter 6: Subjunctive Chapter 7: Phonology Chapter 8: Factors Underlying Spanish Development Chapter 9: Conclusions

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Book SynopsisSpanish in Chicago is the first book-length study of Spanish in Chicago, where populations originating in both Mexico and Puerto Rico have lived in contact for generations and Latinos now comprise nearly a third of the population. Identifying Chicago as a rich site for examining language and dialect contact at both community and family levels, Kim Potowski and Lourdes Torres describe the spoken Spanish of Chicago, analyzing patterns of language change and identity constructions and establishing their likely causes.Drawing on interviews with 124 individuals across three generations of Mexican, Puerto Rican, and MexiRican Chicagoans, Potowski and Torres trace the effects of language and dialect contact through close sociolinguistic analysis of lexicon, discourse markers, codeswitching, the subjunctive, and phonology. Their analysis uniquely examines these features across three generations of speakers and two different regional origins within the same corpus. By including MexiRicans as a Table of ContentsChapter 1: Spanish in the U.S. and in Chicago: Contact and Loss Chapter 2: The Chicago (Chi-) Spanish (Spa-) "CHISPA" corpus Chapter 3: Lexical Familiarity Chapter 4: Discourse Markers Chapter 5: Codeswitching Chapter 6: Subjunctive Chapter 7: Phonology Chapter 8: Factors Underlying Spanish Development Chapter 9: Conclusions

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Book SynopsisOne of the most distinctive characteristics of English is the number of words and phrases it has borrowed - and continues to borrow - from other languages, originally and most notably from Latin and French but now also from every corner of the globe. From the frequently used veranda and futon to the less familiar quinquennium and catenaccio, from the longstanding in vino veritas and vade mecum to the recent doosra and galactico, this highly informative reference book provides a revealing record of that remarkable story. With 6,000 detailed entries from aa to zut, this dictionary is the authoritative guide to foreign words and phrases used in contemporary British and American English. Drawn from over 40 languages, entries provide details of the history of each word or phrase, including language of origin, spelling variants, pronunciation, and its sense and use in English. Information is given on specific items of interest, such as the use of daemon in Philip Pullman''s His Dark MaterialTrade ReviewReview from previous edition frightfully good value. Clarifies those little words and letters that so often puzzle * Express *a delight to peruse * Toby Lichtig, Times Literary Supplement *Table of ContentsPREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION; PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION; PRONUNCIATION GUIDE; OXFORD DICTIONARY OF FOREIGN WORDS AND PHRASES; APPENDIX

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Book SynopsisFrom Today programme presenter and national treasure John Humphrys, the bestselling cry in book form for better English and an exposé of the political uses and abuses of language.Trade ReviewHumphrys is passionate about language - and very funny too * Rod Liddle *Greatly enjoyable * Simon Hoggart, Guardian *for all those who care about the English language * Ann Widdecombe, New Statesman *It is always exhilarating to read a book which says what so many of us think * Jonathan Keates, Spectator *Timely and lively * Sunday Telegraph *Let us be very clear about this from the start: John Humphrys is a Good Thing * Evening Standard *the Jack Russell of the Today programme has now chosen to take some well aimed snaps at solecism, jargon, cliche and weasel words... It is always exhilarating to read a book which says what so many of us think * Spectator *I commend Citizen Humphrys * Daily Mail *You will have fun with this book * Guardian *an exquisite sensitivity to the misuse of the English language * The Sunday Times *

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Book SynopsisFollowing his bestselling Lost for Words, the ever-popular John Humphrys takes a provocative look at the hidden attitudes that lie behind so many of our current phrases and expressions.Trade Review'Wonderfully spirited.' * Daily Mail *'Very amusing... managing to combine mellow wisdom with an endearing rattiness. Beyond Words is among the best books of a new bloodline of non-fiction that dissects modern ails from a position of dismay or bafflement.' * The Herald *'He talks a lot of (well-punctuated) sense.' * londonpaper *[Praise for Lost for Words]'Humphrys is passionate about language - and very funny too' * Rod Liddle *'an exquisite sensitivity to the misuse of the English language' * The Sunday Times *'for all those who care about the English language' * Ann Widdecombe, New Statesman *

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Book SynopsisDialects introduces the many dialects of English spoken in the United Kingdom and reveals the key issues that dialectology engages with.Trade Review' ...Trudgill successfully distills the relatively complex field of dialectology down to the bare minimum for beginners.' - Linguist ListTable of ContentsHow to Use This Book. 1. Studying English Dialects 2. Posh and Less Posh Dialects 3. English in Many Shapes and Forms 4. Dialects – The Old and the New 5. Dialect Maps 6. What Dialect Maps Can Tell Us 7. How Dialect Boundaries Get to be Where They Are 8. Spot Your Dialect Area 9. Present Tense Verbs 10. Different Dialects, Different Grammar 11. Dialect Grammar – The Old and the New 12. Overdoing Things. Further Reading

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Book SynopsisLanguage change happens in the spatio-temporal world. Historical linguistics is the craft linguists exercise upon its results, in order to tell coherent stories about it. In a series of linked essays Roger Lass offers a critical survey of the foundations of the art of historical linguistics, and its interaction with its subject matter, language change. He takes as his background some of the major philosophical issues which arise from these considerations, such as ontology, realism and conventionalism, and explanation. Along the way he poses such questions as: where does our data come from; how trustworthy is it; what is the empirical basis for the reconstructive techniques we standardly take as yielding facts; and how much does the historian create data rather than receiving it? The paradoxical conclusion is that our historiographical methods are often better than the data they have to work with.Trade Review'This is a very interesting book, and the reader who is familiar with the basics of historical linguistics will find it inspiring and stimulating.' Moderna SprakTable of ContentsPreface; General prologue; 1. The past, the present and the historian; 2. Written records: evidence and argument; 3. Relatedness, ancestry and comparison; 4. Convergence and contact; 5. The nature of reconstruction; 6. Time and change: the shape(s) of history; 7. Explanation and ontology; References; Index.

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Book SynopsisStyle refers to ways of speaking - how speakers use the resource of language variation to make meaning in social encounters. This 2007 book develops a coherent theoretical approach to style in sociolinguistics, illustrated with copious examples. It explains how speakers project different social identities and create different social relationships through their style choices, and how speech-style and social context inter-relate. Style therefore refers to the wide range of strategic actions and performances that speakers engage in, to construct themselves and their social lives. Coupland draws on and integrates a wide variety of contemporary sociolinguistic research as well as his own extensive research in this field. The emphasis is on how social meanings are made locally, in specific relationships, genres, groups and cultures, and on studying language variation as part of the analysis of spoken discourse.Trade Review'This is a bold book that is ultimately trying to overturn a four-decade tradition of mainstream sociolinguistic research, much (though by no means all) of which has been shaped by the variationist paradigm. That said, the tone is admirably level-headed and remarkably undogmatic. It is also suitably reflexive. … [Coupland] also shows, whilst class-based approaches to language variation were a product of their time - societal functionalism coupled with the economic Fordism of the postwar era - the explanatory power of the Labovian paradigm is well past its use-by date. What we need in its place are theoretical models that can help us to get to grips with the role of language variation and identity in relation to the late-modern, global age in which we now live. Style is a major step in that direction and - without wishing to overstate the point about 'authenticity' - is one of those texts that every serious sociolinguist really does need to read.' Sally Johnson, University of Leeds'Coupland's Style is a bold and stimulating work, a programmatic review of work in sociolinguistics taking the reader from Labov's original work on variation in Harlem to the contemporary resource and contextualisation approaches Coupland advocates for the future. … written in an engaging style … I fully recommend this compelling study which has opened my eyes to a number of new angles on linguistic problems and encouraged me to read further in the domain.' CerclesTable of Contents1. Introduction; 2. Style and meaning in sociolinguistic structure; 3. Style for audiences; 4. Sociolinguistic resources for styling; 5. Styling social identities; 6. High performance and identity stylisation; 7. Coda: style and social reality.

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Book SynopsisThis major 2001 work explores the development of creoles and other new languages, focusing on the conceptual and methodological issues they raise for genetic linguistics. Drawing on major theories of language formation, macroecology and population genetics, Mufwene proposes a common approach to the development of creoles and other new languages.Trade Review"Mufwene's proposals will undoubtedly interest linguists and theorists of evolution alike." Interdisciplinary Journal for Germanic Linguistics and Semiotic AnalysisTable of Contents1. Introduction; 2. The founder principle in the development of creoles; 3. The development of American Englishes: factoring contact in and the social bias out; 4. The legitimate and illegitimate offspring of English; 5. What research on the development of creoles can contribute to genetic linguistics; 6. Language contact, evolution and death: how ecology rolls the dice; 7. Past and recent population movements in Africa: their impact on its linguistic landscape; 8. Conclusions for the big picture.

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Book SynopsisThis authoritative introduction to African American English (AAE) is the first textbook to look at the grammar as a whole. Clearly organised, it describes patterns in the sentence structure, sound system, word formation and word use in AAE. It also considers the representation of AAE in literature and the media.Table of ContentsIntroduction; 1. Lexicons and meaning; 2. Syntax Part 1. Verbal markers in AAE; 3. Syntax Part 2. Syntactic and morphosyntactic properties in AAE; 4. Phonology of AAE; 5. Speech events and rules of interaction; 6. AAE in literature; 7. AAE in media; 8. Attitudes and education.

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Book SynopsisThis volume presents the long-anticipated results of several decades of inquiry into the social origins and social motivation of linguistic change. Written by one of the founders of modern sociolinguistics Features the first complete report on the Philadelphia project designed to establish the social location of the leaders of linguistic change Includes chapters on social class, neighborhood, ethnicity, gender, and social networks that delineate the leaders of linguistic change as women of the upper working class with a high density of interaction within their neighborhoods and a high proportion of weak ties outside of it Trade Review"A fine piece of qualitative sociolinguistic work that crowds decades of research into the social motivation of phonetic variation and change in some American English dialects... It will also provide rich methodological guidance and material data for scholars interested in the social underpinnings of sound change." Multilingua "William Labov's work is the cornerstone of quantitative sociolinguistics, and his pre-eminence in the field is assured for now and for some time to come. He has taught a whole generation of scholars the skills of careful and accountable fieldwork and of analysing linguistic data collected in the field, and in this respect his work has been inspirational." Journal of Linguistics "It was the unanimous decision of the Committee to award this year's Leonard Bloomfield Book Award to Labov's book. The Committee feels this book is a landmark in the study of language change. It not only presents a coherent and compelling account of the internal mechanics of phonological change, but successfully integrates this account with theoretical advances in grammatical theory, sociolinguistics, and dialectology, as well as historical linguistics. Labov's scholarship in this work is unsurpassed and ranges from a proposed solution to the Neogrammarian controversy, to an account of the changing dialect situation in the United States, to proposals for applying the theory of lexical phonology to the explanation of a set of historical paradoxes, and to exploring the limits of functional explanation." LSA "This is a book that anyone interested in social factors in language change will want to read." Journal of Multilingual & Multicultural Development.Table of ContentsForeword. Notational Conventions. Part I: The Speech Community. 1. The Darwinian Paradox. The Social Effects of Language Change. The Parallels Between Biological and Linguistic Evolution. Earlier Proposals for the Causes of Sound Change. Differend Kinds of Sound Change. The Narrow Interface between Language and Society. The Social Location of the Innovators. Individual, Group, Community. 2. The Study of Linguistic Change and Variation in Philadelphia:. Sampling the Community. The City of Philadelphia. The Exploratory Phase. The Neighborhood Study. The Telephone Survey. 3. Stable Sociolinguistic Variables:. The Necessary Background for the Study of Change in Progress. Variables to be Examined in this Chapter. The Stability of the Stable Variables. The Sociolinguistic Sample of Philadelphia. Cross-tabulation of (dh), Class, and Style. Cross-tabulation by Age. Cross-tabulations by Age and Social Class. Second Regression Analysis. An Exploration of Social Class Indicators. Conclusion. 4. The Philadelphia Vowel System. The Philadelphia Dialect Area. A General Framework for the Description of the Philadelphia Vowel System. Earlier Records of the Philadelphia Vowel System. The Philadelphia Vowel System in the 1970's. Development of Sound Changes in Apparent Time. Part II: Social Class, Gender, Neighborhood, and Ethnicity. 5. Location of the Leaders in the Socioeconomic Hierarchy:. The Data Set. Accuracy and Sources of Error. First Regression: Age Correlations. First Tabulation of Social Class. Second Regression: Age and Social Class. Third Regression: Re-analyzing the Age Dimension. The Centralization of (ay) before Voiceless Consonants. The Telephone Survey. Components of the Socioeconomic Index. An Overview. Further Observations of Class Distributions. The Curvilinear Pattern and the Causes of Change. Are Sound Changes Part of an Adaptive Process?. 6. Subjective Dimensions of Change in Progress. Field Methods for the Study of Subjective Reactions to Language Change. The Philadelphia Self-Report Test. The Philadelphia Subjective Reaction Test. 7. Neighborhood and Ethnicity. The Relation of Local Differentiation to Linguistic Change. The Belfast Neighborhoods. The Relation of Neighborhood to Social Class in Philadelphia. Results of the Fourth Regression Analysis: Adding Neighborhoods. An Overview of Neighborhood Effects. Ethnicity. (r) in Philadelphia. Other Unexplained Adstratum Effects. Ethnic Effects on Philadelphia Vowel Change. The Role of the Neighborhood and Ethnicity in Linguistic Change. 8. The Gender Paradox:. Gender Differentiation of Stable Sociolinguistic Variables in Philadelphia. The General Linguistic Conformity of Women. Gender Differentiation of Changes from Below. 9. The Intersection of Gender, Age, and Social Class. The Case of (ay0). Developments of Time by Gender. A Gender-Asymmetrical Model of Linguistic Change. Nearly Completed and Middle-Range Changes in Philadelphia. The Punctuating Events. The Male-Dominated Variable: (ay0). Conclusion. Part III: The Leaders of Linguistic Change:. 10. Social Networks. The Sociolinguistic Use of Social Networks. Social Networks in Belfast. Social Networks in Philadelphia. The Two-Step Flow of Influence. A General View of Fashion and Fashion Leaders. Who Leads the Leaders?. 11. Resolving the Gender Paradox. The Conformity Paradox. The Strategy of this Chapter: Combining Stable Variables with Changes in Progress. Correlations between Stable Sociolinguistic Variables and Changes in Progress. The Relation of (dha) to Linguistic Changes for Women of Different Social Classes. Combined Male and Female Analysis. Incremental and Saccadic Leaders. 12. Portraits of the Leaders. Celeste S. Teresa M. The Corcorans. Rick Corcoran. Individuals as Regression Variables. The Leaders of Palatalization in Cairo Arabic. The Leaders of Linguistic Change. Part IV: Transmission, Incrementation, and Continuation. 13. Transmission. The Transmission Problem. The Transmission of Stable Sociolinguistic Variables. The Transmission of Change. Directional Language Change Among Philadelphia Children. Transmission Among Adolescents in Detroit. 14. Incrementation. Stabilization. A Model of Linear Sound Change. 15. Continuation:. Continued Change in the Philadelphia Dialect. The Incrementation of Sound Change in North America. 16. Conclusion:. The Linguistic Basis for Continuation. The Social Location of the Leaders of Change. Tramsmission and Incrementation. The Social Basis of Linguistic Change. Global Polarities of Socially Motivated Projection. Afterword. References. Index.

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Book SynopsisInvestigates the origins of contemporary African American Vernacular English (AAVE), one of the oldest, yet unsolved, questions in sociolinguistics. This volume presents a comprehensive analysis of tense and aspect as manifested in recorded conversations with 101 former slaves and their descendants.Trade Review"This exhaustive and compelling study includes numerous charts, tables, and figures that aid comprehension. Strongly recommended for advanced sociolinguists." Choice "[African American Eglish in the Diaspora] constitutes both a treasure of information and an indispensable tool for linguistic investigation." Canadian Journal of Linguistics "The present reviewer, accustomed to the scarcity of data presented by colleagues and scholars engaged in building hypotheses on the diachronic French connections in the Americas, popular, vernacular or creole, and to the paucity of the methodological apparatus exhibited, found this reading of Poplack and Tagliamonte's book a veritable delight; it is a welcome model in our field." The Carrier Pidgin "This book is a milestone in the development of the historical and evolutionary approach to linguistic analysis. I would like to think that this clear demonstration ...would close at least one chapter in the history of the creole controversies. . . Poplack and Tagliamonte have done a splendid job of bringing people back into the study of change and variation." William Labov, University of Pennsylvania. "From now on, no serious inquiry into the nature and history of African-American Vernacular English can afford not to use this book as a benchmark. At last, a thorough and closely reasoned case that despite this dialect's current status as a crucial marker of African-American identity, its main roots are in Great Britain." John McWhorter, University of California at Berkeley. "African American English in the Diaspora is well researched, easy to read, and a significant contribution to understanding the impact of social relations on the linguistic development of African American English in the Diaspora. The original research goes beyond a linguistic study, it is a treasure for historians as well." Patrick Kakembo, Director of African Canadian Services Division, Department of Education, Nova Scotia.Table of ContentsList of Figures. List of Tables. Series Preface. Acknowledgements. 1. Introduction. 2. African Americans in the Samaná Peninsula. 3. African Americans in Nova Scotia: Settlement and Data. 4. External Controls. 5. Method. 6. The Past Tense. 7. The Present Tense. 8. The Future Tense. 9. Conclusions: An Essay on the Origins and Development of African American English. References. Index.

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Book SynopsisThis book is the first to present a comprehensive linguistic study of Jersey Norman French. Drawing on a corpus of original data, it offers historical and dialectological sketches, an assessment of language planning on Jersey, and an account of language change in progress. It also establishes the relevance of Jersey Norman French to the field of language obsolescence.Table of ContentsAcknowledgements. List of Figures. List of Maps. List of Tables. 1. Introduction 1 2. The Sociohistorical Setting 7 3. The Jerriais Dialect 18 4. A Sociolinguistic Profile of the Jerriais Speech Community 45 5. Language Planning on Jersey 70 6. Linguistic Developments in Modern Jerriais 97 7. Lexical Erosion in Modern Jerriais 140 8. Cross-linguistic Influence on Jersey 156 9. Conclusion 181 Appendix 1. List of Informants According to Parish of Origin 191 Appendix 2. Figures Illustrating Results Discussed in Chapter 7 192 Notes 212 References 222 General Index 231 Index of Authors 235 Index of Languages and Dialects 238

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Book SynopsisDARE readers now have the full panoply of American regional vocabulary, from Adam's housecat' to Zydeco.' Volume V is filled with words reflecting our origins, migrations, ethnicities, and neighborhoods. Whether we talk about foods, games, clothing, family, animals, or any other aspect of life, our vocabulary reveals much about who we are.Trade ReviewA testimonial to the metaphor-making power of the American language at its most vigorous. -- NewsweekThe Dictionary of American Regional English...is all we had hoped for and more. It includes the regional and folk language, past and present, of the old and the young, men and women, white and black, the rural and the urban, from all walks of life... This is an exciting, lasting work of useful scholarship accomplished with excellence, a work that scholars and laypeople alike will study, use and enjoy for generations. -- Stuart B. Flexner, New York Times Book ReviewUnmatched as a kind of refuge for colloquialisms threatened with extinction...Writers, etymologists and other devotees of verbal arcana have never been given a richer browsing ground. -- Ezra Bowden, TimeThe Dictionary will rank as one of the glories of contemporary American scholarship...it is endlessly rewarding to dip into, and if you look up a particular word or phrase you are in constant danger of being seduced to something else...It is a work to consult, and a work to savor—a work to last a lifetime. -- John Gross, New York TimesDARE is evidence that American speech will never become stale and fusty, that the great linguistic homogenization of television is a myth. -- Henry Kisor, Chicago Sun TimesTo open its pages is to thrill at the exploration of the New World and to trace the course of American history through its language... Its editors… have caught the native poetry of America on every page. -- SmithsonianThe Dictionary of American Regional English is an essential resource for the English language and its rich expression in America. From Mark Twain to William Faulkner, our great writers have anchored their work in regional English with its deep ties to the places in which Americans live. With the publication of this magnificent volume, we can now fully understand and embrace the voice of our nation. -- William Ferris, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillThis is a monumental achievement, nothing less than a comprehensive account of the ever-expanding ways we talk to each other. Up above, Noah Webster and Mark Twain are smiling. -- Joseph J. Ellis, Mount Holyoke CollegeFor scholars of American English, this volume and the series it completes are a hoard of riches, and also a work of heroic proportions for more than four decades...For the non-specialist reader...browsing is an endless delight...What strikes one repeatedly is the variety, the creativity, and the colorfulness of the American English. This final volume alone has more than 1,200 double-column pages, and every one I have looked at so far has some fresh piece of information (sushi has been known in American English since 1894) or evocative term (swing-dingle, a shoulder yoke for carrying two buckets). This volume, this project is more than a mere reference for looking up obscure terms. It is a repository of who we have been as a people, and who we are. -- John McIntyre * Baltimore Sun blog *The Dictionary of American Regional English, covers regional and local speech for the whole United States: It is the treasure-house for the all-American word hoard...Touring the Dictionary of American Regional English is a road trip of the mind from sea to shining sea...Its approach has been unusually adventurous. It speaks with authority about American regional speech and has also captured the popular imagination. It is a peerless resource for scholars, but at the same time delivers accurate information about regional vocabulary to laypersons who, until DARE, could not count on access to it. In the twentieth century, DARE was so far ahead of practices in both dialectology and lexicography that it sometimes seemed futuristic...DARE entries have a homespun texture, demanding more of a reader, who must reconcile various types of information in order to understand what DARE has to say about a word or phrase. But if they pay attention, readers come away marvelously informed...DARE is a bold synthesis of linguistic atlas and historical dictionary...Scholars of American language, history, and culture will rely on it, and they will enjoy it as much as lay readers. DARE teaches us about American regional speech, of course. It also teaches us to think big, put aside assumptions, draw on traditions when useful, and make things new. -- Michael Adams * Humanities *To scholars and language lovers [the Dictionary of American Regional English] is an invaluable guide to the way Americans not only speak but also live--a homegrown answer to the Oxford English Dictionary...From the beginning the dictionary was the product of cutting-edge lexicographical science and on-the-ground research of unprecedented scope...Over the years DARE has been consulted by Broadway dialect coaches, detectives analyzing ransom notes, scholars puzzling over a Eudora Welty reference to "piecing" (that is, snacking) and poets looking to mine its 170-plus synonyms for dust bunnies. -- Jennifer Schuessler * New York Times *If you're the kind of person who is delighted to stumble across one strange new word in a book, you may find reading this enormous volume to be an almost excessive pleasure...The Dictionary is a book you can actually sit down and read--not just for colorful words and quotations, but also for a tour of actions, objects, creatures and categories central to far-off or vanished pockets of American life...Without your own team of roaming lexicographers, there is probably no easier way to browse America's past ways of living and talking than to read its books. But Dictionary of American Regional English gathers all these terms into one place, together with samples of the voices and stories and songs that gave rise to them. It's the rare American book whose roots extend not just to one region but to all of them. -- Amanda Katz * NPR.org *DARE devotes as little space as possible to standard words with standard meanings. It doesn't cover "technical, scientific, or other learned words or phrases." Nor does it take any particular interest in the kinds of words that appear in dictionaries of slang or on Urbandictionary.com. What's left? A vast, meticulously researched and organized compilation of the nonstandard words, spellings, and pronunciations that dictionaries generally leave out--American regional English... The DARE alphabet is at last complete. Now forensic linguists can look up zaguan ("A vestibule; a porch"). Environmental lawyers can look up zanjero ("The people who take care of or open the floodgates into the ditch"). And so can anyone who needs or wants a fuller picture of American English. -- Barbara Wallraff * American Scholar *Fifty years ago, scholars at the University of Wisconsin-Madison set out to document the regional speech of the United States. They interviewed people one-on-one. They read cookbooks, poems, newspapers and novels. This week, the fifth and last volume of the Dictionary of American Regional English was published, making it the most exhaustive record available of American speech. -- Jacqueline Trescott * Washington Post online *The true value of DARE is as a record of the down-home speech of Americans, reflecting quotidian concerns: children's games, plants and animals, good things to eat and ways to talk about our neighbors--the kinds of things too easily forgotten...Although we often assume that "country practices" have fallen by the wayside under the onslaught of pop culture, DARE provides evidence for many terms not only of past use but of continued currency. -- Erin McKean * Wall Street Journal *An important event in lexicography. -- Joan Acocella * New Yorker *"Aaron's rod" to "zydeco"--between these two verbal bookends lies an immense and largely hidden American vocabulary, one that surely, more than perhaps any other aspect of society, reveals the wonderfully chaotic pluribus out of which two centuries of commerce and convention have forged the duller reality of the unum...A monument, a memorial, a piece of work both magisterial and majestic that someone, somewhere, was one day bound to undertake. So to all who take pleasure from the complex mechanics of human communication: let us rejoice that someone did indeed undertake this gigantic task, and recorded so fascinating a morsel of American linguistic history. -- Simon Winchester * Lapham's Quarterly *The native words we know for things sound right when we hear them, reminding us who we are and where we come from. That is one more reason to celebrate the Dictionary of American Regional English, which reminds us that we have continued to name things long after Adam, and which lovingly and indefatigably catalogues the words that place us in the world. -- John E. McIntyre * Baltimore Sun *A reference tool of the finest kind. * Down East *DARE, as it is known, has the information you will need to bush around (discuss) the difference between bush-busters (hillbillies) and bush eels (rattlesnakes). One could make a sport out of guessing the meanings of DARE entries...Every page of DARE shows the absolute centrality of metaphor and other forms of verbal figuration to colloquial speech. Naming storms for the damage they do, or foods for what they do to your stomach, or foreigners for the strange traits they exhibit--these tendencies suggest just how much of reality is established after the fact, in conversations about shared experience by people with a common world of reference...Because of its reliance on and scrupulous recording of personal testimony, DARE is one of the most poignant reference books ever compiled, a great exploration of the far reaches and dark corners of American cultural memory...This massive cataract of language is enough to make one cry uncle, or calf rope, or barley out, or I want a crab apple-or a perennial favorite, never out of style for long: mama. -- Dan Chiasson * Harper’s *

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