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Welcome to the illogical, idiosyncratic, outrageous linguistic phenomenon known as the English language. The story of how this ragtag collection of words evolved is a winding tale replete with intriguing accidents and bizarre twists of fate. In this eye-opening, fabulously entertaining book, James Essinger unlocks the mysteries that have confounded linguists and scholars for millennia.From the sophisticated writing systems of the ancient Sumerians through the tongue twisters of Middle English, the popular National Spelling Bee, and the mobile phone text-messaging of today, Spellbound chronicles the fascinating history of English spelling, including insights about the vast number of words English has borrowed from other languages ("orange," "vanilla," and "ketchup," to name a few), and how their meanings differ from country to country. Featuring a lively cast of characters ranging from the fictional to the historically noteworthy (Chaucer, Samuel Johnson, Noah Webster, Shakespeare, Bill Gates), this affectionate tribute to English spelling shows why our whimsical, capricious common language continues to hold us spellbound.From the Trade Paperback edition.
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Showing 4 featured editions. View all 4 editions?
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Spellbound: The Surprising Origins and Astonishing Secrets of English Spelling
May 1, 2007, Delta
in English
0385340842 9780385340847
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3
Spellbound: the surprising origins and astonishing secrets of English spelling
2007, Bantam Dell
in English
- Delta trade pbk. ed
0385340842 9780385340847
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4
Spellbound: the improbable story of English spelling
2006, Robson Books
in English
186105906X 9781861059062
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- Created December 19, 2008
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August 19, 2010 | Edited by IdentifierBot | added LibraryThing ID |
April 16, 2010 | Edited by bgimpertBot | Added goodreads ID. |
December 9, 2009 | Edited by WorkBot | link works |
December 19, 2008 | Created by ImportBot | Imported from University of Toronto MARC record |