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Spell It Out: The singular story of English spelling

By David Crystal

Spell It Out: The singular story of English spelling Social Sciences

Spell It Out: The singular story of English spelling

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Description
Why is there an 'h' in ghost? William Caxton, inventor of the printing press and his Flemish employees are to blame: without a dictionary or style guide to hand in fifteenth century Bruges, the typesetters simply spelled it the way it sounded to their foreign ears, and it stuck. Seventy-five per cent of English spelling is regular but twenty-five per cent is complicated, and in Spell It Out our foremost linguistics expert David Crystal extends a helping hand to the confused and curious alike. He unearths the stories behind the rogue words that confound us, and explains why these peculiarities entered the mainstream, in an epic journey taking in sixth century monks, French and Latin upstarts, the Industrial Revolution and the internet. By learning the history and the principles, Crystal shows how the spellings that break all the rules become easier to get right.
Product details
Binding:
Paperback
Number of Pages:
336
Release Date:
2013-09-19
Publication Date:
2013-09-19
Publisher:
Profile Books
Languages:
Published: English, Original: English
ISBN10:
1846685680
GPSR Manufacturer Reference:
[email protected]
Weight:
274 g
Height:
19.6 cm
Width:
12.8 cm
Thickness:
2.8 cm
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The items bear minimal signs of past use, such as light scratches or memories in the form of markings. These signs of wear give the items a charming character and tell stories of their previous owners, while not affecting their functionality.
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