The Long Journey of English

"Written by one of the foremost authorities on the English language, this book offers a fascinating look at the history of English, focusing on its early development and subsequent spread around the world. Engaging and accessible, it is ideal reading for anyone interested in the history of the English Language"--

Prologue: a view from the birthplace; 1. Where it all started: the language which became English; 2. The journey begins: the first movement south; 3. Interlude: a view from the Celtic island; 4. Heading west again: the North Sea crossing 400-600; 5. Anglo-Saxons and Celts in the English highlands 600-800; 6. And further west: across the Irish Sea 800-1200; 7. Atlantic crossing: on to the Americas 1600-1800; 8. Onwards to the Pacific shore; 9. Across the Equator: into the Southern Hemisphere 1800-1900; 10. Some turning back: English in retreat; 11. Meanwhile. . . Britain and the British Isles from 1600; 12. Transcultural diffusion: the New Native Englishes; Epilogue: sixteen hundred years on.