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The Prodigal Tongue

By Lynne Murphy

Product Image: The Prodigal Tongue

The Prodigal Tongue

Only 1 item left in stock
Description
CHOSEN BY THE ECONOMIST AS A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR An American linguist teaching in England explores the sibling rivalry between British and American English "English accents are the sexiest." "Americans have ruined the English language." Such claims about the English language are often repeated but rarely examined. Professor Lynne Murphy is on the linguistic front line. In The Prodigal Tongue she explores the fiction and reality of the special relationship between British and American English. By examining the causes and symptoms of American Verbal Inferiority Complex and its flipside, British Verbal Superiority Complex, Murphy unravels the prejudices, stereotypes and insecurities that shape our attitudes to our own language. With great humo(u)r and new insights, Lynne Murphy looks at the social, political and linguistic forces that have driven American and British English in different directions: how Americans got from centre to center, why British accents are growing away from American ones, and what different things we mean when we say estate, frown, or middle class. Is anyone winning this war of the words? Will Yanks and Brits ever really understand each other?
Product details
Binding:
Paperback
Number of Pages:
370
Release Date:
2018-04-10
Publication Date:
2018-04-10
Publisher:
Random House
Languages:
Original: English
ISBN10:
0143131109
ISBN13:
9780143131106
Weight:
300 g
Height:
139 cm
Width:
226 cm
Thickness:
27 cm

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Good
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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