- Category: Books » Language Arts & Disciplines » Etymology
- Format: Hardcover Learn more about the Hardcover format using Tower WIKI.
- Publisher: Walker & Company
- Number of Pages: 272
- ISBN: 0802717004
- WAPI (Tower ID): 113399770
- Release Date: October 27, 2009
- Average Customer Review: There are no customer reviews yet. Be the first to write a review!
- Tower.com Sales Rank: #73843 in Books (See Top 100 Books Bestsellers)
- #1010 in Language Arts & Disciplines (See Top 100 Language Arts & Disciplines Bestsellers)
- #25 in Etymology (See Top 100 Etymology Bestsellers)
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Product DescriptionRun a Quick Search on "The Lexicographer's Dilemma: The Evolution of 'Proper' English, from Shakespeare to South Park" by Jack W. Lynch to Browse Related Products:Browse more products related to "The Lexicographer's Dilemma: The Evolution of 'Proper' English, from Shakespeare to South Park"Browse more products related to "Jack W. Lynch"Review"Lynch recognizes that grace, clarity, and precision of expression are paramount. His many well-chosen and entertaining examples support his conclusion that prescriptions and pedantry will always give way to change, and that we should stop fretting, relax, and embrace it." Publisher's noteA history of correct English usage for language buffs and writing professionals documents the efforts of individuals who sought to establish specific rules in accordance with events and social conditions, in an account that includes coverage of such figures as Jonathan Swift, Samuel Johnson and Noah Webster. For language buffs and lexicographers, copy editors and proofreaders, and anyone who appreciates the connection between language and culture--the illuminating story of "proper English." In its long history, the English language has had many lawmakers--those who have tried to regulate, or otherwise organize, the way we speak. "The Lexicographer's Dilemma "offers the first narrative history of these endeavors, showing clearly that what we now regard as the only "correct" way to speak emerged out of specific historical and social conditions over the course of centuries. As literary historian Jack Lynch has discovered, every rule has a human history, and the characters peopling his narrative are as interesting for their obsession as for their erudition. The struggle between prescriptivists, who prescribe a correct approach, and descriptivists, who analyze how language works, is at the heart of Lynch's story. From the sharp-tongued satirist Jonathan Swift, who called for a governmentsponsored academy to issue rulings on the language, and the polymath Samuel Johnson, who put dictionaries on a new footing, to John Horne Tooke, the crackpot linguist whose bizarre theories continue to baffle scholars; Joseph Priestley, whose political radicalism prompted riots; and the ever-crotchety Noah Webster, whose goal was to Americanize the English language--Lynch brings to life a varied cast as illuminating as it is entertaining. Grammatical "rules" or "laws" are not like the law of gravity, or laws against theft or murder--they're more like rules of etiquette, made by fallible people and subject to change. Charting the evolution of English, Jack Lynch puts today's debates--whether about Ebonics in the schools or split infinitives in the "New York Times"--in a rich historical context, and makes us appreciate anew the hard-won standards we now enjoy. AnnotationFrom an English professor, language maven, and (fittingly) Samuel Johnson scholar, here is an eye-opening look at what we think of as "good English"--where it comes from and where (if anywhere) it's going. Jack Lynch examines our dictionary offerings, grammar rules, and linguistic oddities from a historical perspective, and spices his narrative with the wild cast of characters (often obsessed, occasionally mad) who have shaped the language over the years. No writer, editor, or follower of the strange vagaries of English should miss this one. If You Enjoy "The Lexicographer's Dilemma: The Evolution of 'Proper' English, from Shakespeare to South Park (Hardcover)", May We Also Recommend:Customer Reviews for "The Lexicographer's Dilemma: The Evolution of 'Proper' English, from Shakespeare to South Park (Hardcover)" by Jack W. Lynch (Author)There are no customer reviews yet. Be the first to write a review! Etymology Bestsellers
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