Acknowledgements -- List of abbreviations -- Introduction -- 1. Conquest, colonial ideologies and the consequences for language -- 2. 'A bad dream with no sound' : the representation of Irish in the texts of the Elizabethan conquest -- 3. 'Wilde speech' : Elizabethan evaluations of Irish -- 4. 'Translating this kingdom of the new' : English linguistic nationalism and Anglicisation policy in Ireland -- 5. New world, new incomprehension : patterns of change and continuity in the English encounter with native languages from Munster to Manoa -- 6. The clamorous silence -- Conclusion -- Glossary -- Notes -- Bibliography -- Index
Summary
The Elizabethan conquest of Ireland sparked off two linguistic events: it initiated the language shift from Irish to English, which constitutes the great drama of Irish cultural history, and it marked the beginnings of English linguistic expansion. Palmer explores the role of language in shaping colonial ideology and English identity
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 227-246) and index
