A History of the English Language

The Modern Scholar: The History of the English Language by Professor Michael Drout


https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R1C42L9I1R2I5J?ref=pf_ov_at_pdctrvw_srp

This is a very enjoyable lecture series.

The first half of the lectures deal with linguistics. Professor Drout educates students in the history of linguistics as a field. He then takes the student through the mechanics of language from brain activity to sound formation to phonemes to syntax and on. Although this might seem like it should be boring, in fact, Professor Droutt brings humor and insight to his lectures.

The second half takes the student to the history of the English language from its German origins to Anglo-Saxon, the Norman Conquest, the Great Vowel Shift, American dialects and the future of English. This was all fascinating stuff. I particularly appreciated Professor Drout's discussion of the Great Vowell Shift. Professor Drout offered a far better explanation of this mystery than I had ever heard.