The author of the acclaimed The Lost Continent now steers us through the quirks and byways of the English language. We learn why island, freight, and colonel are spelled in such unphonetic ways, why four has a u in it but forty doesn't, plus bizarre and enlightening facts about some of the patriarchs of this peculiar language.
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The author of the acclaimed The Lost Continent now steers us through the quirks and byways of the English language. We learn why island, freight, and colonel are spelled in such unphonetic ways, why four has a u in it but forty doesn't, plus bizarre and enlightening facts about some of the patriarchs of this peculiar language.
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Add this copy of The Mother Tongue: English and How It Got That Way to cart. $11.85, new condition, Sold by Ingram Customer Returns Center rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from NV, USA, published 2001 by William Morrow & Company.
I admit to being a language and word junkie but this is an absolute masterpiece on the English language by an arthor, Bill Bryson, who is a genius at imparting knowledge with humor . . I may buy everything he's ever written!
CopakeWillow
Feb 19, 2009
English Explained Wonderfully
Bryson writes with great erudition about the fascinating history of the English language and all its glorious idiosyncracies. As with all Bryson books, much of it is laugh-out-loud funny. But it's also clearly written by a person who loves the English language.
