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The Routes Of English Complete Series 1-4
- Author
- Melvyn Bragg
- Narrator
- Melvyn Bragg
- Publisher
- BBC Audio
- Publish Date
- 14 April 2022
- Run Time
- 11 hours 4 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
What to expect
In this collection, Melvyn Bragg surveys how English has evolved over 1,000 years. He starts by looking at the disappearance of old dialects like that of Cumbria, and how English has been enriched by foreign languages, from Latin and Old French to dozens more as conquest, trade and immigration played their part in recent centuries. He also examines new coinages, puns and wordplay; how accents and social class are entwined; swear words; attempts to stop the evolution of language in its tracks; and, lastly, the many varieties of English that are spoken around the world today.
Next, it's dialects from around Britain: the Pitmatic of Northumberland, the dialect of (London/Derry), the increasingly elusive Cornish dialect, Pidgin and Shropshire dialect, before finishing up with a speculation on the future of English dialects. Finally, Melvyn examines some of the many different varieties of English spoken around the world today, taking in Spanglish from the USA, Indian English, Caribbean English, Australian English, South African English and a kind of 'international English' used between non-native English speakers.
©2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd
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Details
- Author
- Melvyn Bragg
- Narrator
- Melvyn Bragg
- Duration
- 11 hours 4 minutes
- Release Date
- 14 April 2022
- ISBN
- 9781529142204
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- BBC Audio
- Genre
- Social and cultural history, Dialect, slang and jargon, Linguistics, Language: reference and general, Language: history and general works, Historical and comparative linguistics
Synopsis
In this collection, Melvyn Bragg surveys how English has evolved over 1,000 years. He starts by looking at the disappearance of old dialects like that of Cumbria, and how English has been enriched by foreign languages, from Latin and Old French to dozens more as conquest, trade and immigration played their part in recent centuries. He also examines new coinages, puns and wordplay; how accents and social class are entwined; swear words; attempts to stop the evolution of language in its tracks; and, lastly, the many varieties of English that are spoken around the world today. Next, it's dialects from around Britain: the Pitmatic of Northumberland, the dialect of (London/Derry), the increasingly elusive Cornish dialect, Pidgin and Shropshire dialect, before finishing up with a speculation on the future of English dialects. Finally, Melvyn examines some of the many different varieties of English spoken around the world today, taking in Spanglish from the USA, Indian English, Caribbean English, Australian English, South African English and a kind of 'international English' used between non-native English speakers.©2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd
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