The Story of English in 100 Words

Inthisentertaininghistoryworld’smostubiquitouslanguage,linguisticsexpertDavidCrystaldrawsononehundredwordsthatbestillustratethehugevarietyofsources,influencesandeventsthathavehelpedtoshapeourvernacularsincetheword"roe"waswrittendownontheboneankleofaroedeerinthefifthcentury.Featuringancientwords(‘loaf’),cutting-edgetermsthatreflectourworld(‘twittersphere’),indispensablewordsthatshapeourtongue("and","what"),andmorefancifulwords("fopdoodle"),DavidCrystaltakesreadersonatourofthewindingbywaysofourlanguageviatherude,theobscure,andthedownrightsurprising.