Our Books
A Linguistic Introduction to the Structure and History of the English Language
This book is an introduction to the history and structure of the English
lexicon using linguistic concepts. Or, it is an
introduction to linguistics through the medium of the English lexicon.
Or, it is both.
An intimate knowledge of the history of English and the structure of
English words is valuable. If one has a varied
intellectual life — and one hopes that undergraduate university students
do — then encountering new words or familiar
words used in new ways will be a frequent experience. The ability to
find familiar forms among the new can provide
a sense of confidence. More exciting and subtler is the recognition
that a skilled writer is also aware of the
history of words and is able to use it to effect. If one is at all
interested in literature, this kind of knowledge of English
will add more texture to it.
The acquisition of this knowledge isn't really possible without linguistics.
Linguistics provides the tools to dissect the
lexicon and to explain its structure. Thus, it is necessary to introduce
linguistic concepts, methods and calculus
throughout the text. While necessary for the study of English, it is
hoped that students will see that the study of linguistics
is interesting in itself. I have occasionally tried to broaden the
scope of the discussion beyond the study of English to suggest larger
issues that interested students might pursue.
This book is intended for a first year undergraduate audience. While
it attempts to serve two masters, it is expected that the majority
of the students will be looking to improve their knowledge of English.
This is not a grammar book and doesn't pretend to teach the grammar
of English, although necessarily grammatical concepts will enter the
discussion.
The focus of the book is the English lexicon, its structure and the
structure of its occupants. It is hoped that
by laying out the English lexicon, both native and non-native English
speakers will gain greater facility with the language
Author: Paul McFetridge.
Reviews
"This is an impressive book, knowledgeable, thorough, well written,
and well organized. Its detail is dense, but as a fan of grammar I
am absorbed by it and happy to submit to it. So full of useful information
is the book, in fact, that I would welcome it on my shelf."
Professor Harvey De Roo, (ret) Medieval Literature, Department of English,
Simon Fraser University, BC Canada.
"Well suited for linguistics majors, strong foreign language majors
and students of English."
Professor Chris Brew, Department of Linguistics, Ohio State University