Baby-talk; From cries to words; Learning how to understand; Making vibrations; Pronouncing sounds; Discovering grammar; Having a conversation; Learning to read and write; Getting to grips with spelling; Spelling rules and variations; Grammar rules and variations; Accents and dialects; Being bilingual; The languages of the world; The origins of speech; The origins of writing; Modern writing; Sign language; Comparing languages; Dying languages; Language change; Language variation; Language at work; Slang; Dictionaries; Etymology; Place names; Personal names; The electronic revolution
Summary
With a language disappearing every two weeks and neologisms springing up almost daily, an understanding of the origins and currency of language has never seemed more relevant. In this charming volume, a narrative history written explicitly for a young audience, expert linguist David Crystal proves why the story of language deserves retelling. From the first words of an infant to the peculiar modern dialect of text messaging, A Little Book of Language ranges widely, revealing language's myriad intricacies and quirks
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references and index
Notes
Online resource; title from PDF title page (EBSCO, viewed June 17, 2019)
