The Secret Life of Words: How English Became English

Customer Reviews

Enjoyable and serious - By: The Fisher Price King, 13 Apr 2008
This is a fluently written & interesting account of English's adoption of words from other languages - ranging from the obvious ones, like French, to the less obvious (Persian, Dutch, Portuguese). It is, as such, a history of English vocabulary, but also, more compellingly, a history of British relationships with other cultures. The subject matter might sound quite academic, but this is an engaging read, lit up by lots of memorable examples. It's a fascinating & thought-provoking take on history.

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