The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language

David Crystal

Cambridge: CUP

2003

Rarely has a book so packed with accurate and well researched factual information been so widely read
and popularly acclaimed. This Second Edition of The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language has
been fully revised for a new generation of language-lovers. The book is longer and includes extensive new
material on world English and Internet English, in addition to completely updated statistics, further
reading suggestions and other references. David Crystal is a leading authority on language, and author of
many books, including most recently Shakespeare's Words (Penguin, 2002), Language and the Internet
(Cambridge, 2001) and Language Death (Cambridge, 2000). An internationally renowned writer, journal
editor, lecturer and broadcaster, he received an Order of the British Empire in 1995 for his services to the
English language.

• The most successful general book on the English language (its past, present and future)

• Packed with colour illustrations, maps, tables and graphics

• Difficult concepts explained in a simple and accessible way

Contents
Prefaces; 1. Modelling English; Part I. The History of English: 2. The origins of English; 3. Old English; 4.
Middle English; 5. Early Modern English; 6. Modern English; 7. World English; Part II. English Vocabulary: 8.
The nature of the lexicon; 9. The sources of the lexicon; 10. Etymology; 11. The structure of the lexicon;
12. Lexical dimensions; Part III. English Grammar: 13. Grammatical mythology; 14. The structure of words;
15. Word classes; 16. The structure of sentences; Part IV. Spoken and Written English: 17. The sound
system; 18. The writing system; Part V. Using English: 19. Varieties of discourse; 20. Regional variation; 21.
Social variation; 22. Personal variation; 23. Electronic variation; Part VI. Learning about English: 24.
Learning English as a mother tongue; 25. New ways of studying English; Appendices; Indexes.

Reviews
‘A delight and a treasure … David Crystal does a brilliant job of satisfying our curiosity about our mother
tongue while illuminating the deepest questions of who we are and where we come from. A magnificent
achievement.’ Steven Pinker
‘David Crystal is phenomenal … This is a prodigious achievement … The book contains breadth of range,
imaginative insight, and deep understanding … It is pervasively readable and stimulating.’ Professor the
Lord Quirk, FBA
‘… a superb work that manages to be both scholarly and vastly entertaining … This is a deeply impressive
book, for it packs between two covers virtually everything any normal person might care to know about
English.’ The Washington Post Book World
‘… bedazzles … with an eye-popping presentation of … the mother tongue.’ The New York Times ‘…
scholarly and entertaining … the range, scholarly value, interest, attractiveness and (often) humour of the
tables, graphics, illustrations, photographs, colour plates, maps, and quoted material is quite stunning.
rarely has serious information been presented so colourfully, so strikingly. A splendid work, essential in all
libraries and destined to live a long and useful life.’ Reference Reviews
‘I have been unable to think of a question this book cannot answer … I will risk predicting that Professor
Crystal will not be superseded much before the message sent into space on Voyager I... receives an
answer.’ The Times Literary Supplement
‘… it gives … the whole history and grammar, all the theory and practice of English with precision,
panache and wit.’ The Observer
‘… without a doubt one of the most beautiful and enlightening volumes I have handled in some years.’
Western Australia Sunday Times ‘… an outstanding work … The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English
Language will surely remain the definite text in the field for some time to come.’ fun-with-words.com
‘…the most diverting, delightful, imaginative and altogether entertaining compilation ever assembled
about spoken and written English.’ Parade Magazine
‘… bedazzles you with an eye-popping presentation of the cluck-clucking of the mother tongue. If you like
fireworks with your information, this is a worthwhile language book..." William Safire, The New York
Times Magazine ‘… this remarkable book is a goldmine of learning and knowledge … All readers … should
find great value, and great pleasure, in this amazing reference book.’ Cambridge
‘… contains a monstrous amount of information on a fascinating topic arranged in a clear, concise, and,
above all, entertaining manner - a dangerous combination indeed, and one that can only lead to
uncontrollable reading binges lasting hours or perhaps days.’ Quill and Quire