A history of the English language traces its evolution from a Germanic dialect around 500 A.D. to its modern form, noting the influence of such groups and individuals as early Anglo-Saxon tribes, Alfred the Great, and William Shakespeare.
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"In 1780 John Adams, the second U.S. President, wrote: 'English is destined to be in the next and succeeding centuries more generally the language of the world.' " Thus reads the prophetic caption to one of the book's illustrations. In this first US edition, Bragg, a British author/talk show host, traces English's multilingual roots as an adventure story of a global language that is still evolving. He lists "Google" (as a verb) as a candidate for a future edition of the Oxford English Dictionary. Originally published in 2003 by Hodder & Stoughton, 2003. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
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