Simon Horobin

First published in hardback as How English became English, 2016.

A Very Short Introduction

The English Language

Linne R. Mooney

Fresh contributions to the study of medieval manuscripts, texts, and their creators.

A Festschrift Dedicated to Toshiyuki Takamiya on His 70th Birthday

Middle English Texts in Transition

Carole Hough

Christian Kay

Jeremy J. Smith

Inrene Wotherspoon

This is the second of two volumes of papers selected from those given at the 12th International Conference on English Historical Linguistics. The first is New Perspectives on English Historical Linguistics (1): Syntax and Morphology. Together the volumes provide an overview of many of the issues that are currently engaging practitioners in the field. In this volume, the primary concern is with the historical study of the English lexicon and its sound and writing systems. Using research tools such as machine-readable text and lexical corpora, and intellectual tools such as corpus and cognitive linguistics, many of the papers move from a close study of a set of data to conclusions of theoretical significance, often concerning questions of classification and organisation. More broadly, whether concerned with lexicology or transmission, the papers have a social orientation, since neither lexicology nor phonology can be seen as divorced from its social setting.

New Perspectives on English Historical Linguistics: Lexis and transmission

Assuming no previous linguistic knowledge, this book introduces students to Chaucer's language and the importance of reading Chaucer in the original, rather than modern translation. The book leads students gently through basic linguistic concepts with appropriate explanation, highlighting how Chaucer's language differs from present-day English and the significance of this for interpreting his work. Close analysis and comparison with other writers is used to show how Chaucer drew on the variety of Middle English to achieve particular poetic effects.

Chaucer's Language

This book narrates the history of English spelling from the Anglo-Saxons to the present-day. It also examines the changing attitudes to spelling, including numerous proposals for spelling reform, ranging from the introduction of new alphabets to more modest attempts to rid English of its silent letters, and the differing agendas they reveal.

Does Spelling Matter?

Lecturer in English Language Simon Horobin

A study of the language of Chaucerian manuscripts, printed editions and Chaucer's 15th century followers. Winner of the 2005 Beatrice White Prize for outstanding scholarly work in the field of English literature before 1590

The Language of the Chaucer Tradition

The English Language is spoken by more than a billion people throughout the world. But where did English come from? And how has it evolved into the language used today? In How English Became English Simon Horobin investigates the evolution of the English language, examining how the language continues to adapt even today, as English continues to find new speakers and new uses. Engaging with contemporary concerns about correctness, Horobin considers whether such changes are improvements, or evidence of slipping standards. What is the future for the English Language? Will Standard English continue to hold sway, or are we witnessing its replacement by newly emerging Englishes?

A short history of a global language

How English Became English

Where do our everyday words come from? The bagel you eat for breakfast, the bumf you have to wade through at the office, and the bus that takes you home again: we use these words without thinking about their origins or how their meanings have changed over time. Simon Horobin takes the reader on a journey through a typical day, showing how the words we use to describe routine activities - getting up, going to work, eating meals - have surprisingly fascinating histories.

Simon Horobin

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