Description
| Product ID: | 9780198791096 |
| Product Form: | Hardback |
| Country of Manufacture: | GB |
| Title: | The Story of Be |
| Subtitle: | A Verb's-Eye View of the English Language |
| Authors: | Author: David Crystal |
| Page Count: | 208 |
| Subjects: | Language: history and general works, Language: history & general works, Historical and comparative linguistics, Social and cultural history, Historical & comparative linguistics, Social & cultural history |
| Description: | Select Guide Rating It's the most simple, unassuming, innocent-looking verb: 'to be'. Yet it is jam-packed with more different meanings, forms, and uses than any other English word. As he reveals be's multiple incarnations, David Crystal takes us to the heart of our flexible and changing language, with the help of wonderfully entertaining examples and cartoons. It''s the most simple, unassuming, innocent-looking verb: ''to be''. Yet it is jam-packed with more different meanings, forms, and uses than any other English word. As he reveals be''s multiple incarnations, David Crystal takes us to the heart of our flexible and changing language. He tells the intriguing story in 26 chapters, each linked to a particular usage. We meet circumstantial be (''how are you?''), numerical be (''two and two is four''), quotative be (''so I was like, "wow"''), and ludic be (''oh no he isn''t!''), and a whole swarm of other meanings. Bringing the ideas to life are a host of examples from sources as varied as Beowulf, Jane Austen, pantomime, Hamlet (of course), and Star Wars, with cartoons from Ed McLachlan and Punch peppered throughout. Full of fascinating nuggets of information, it is a book to delight any lover of words and language. |
| Imprint Name: | Oxford University Press |
| Publisher Name: | Oxford University Press |
| Country of Publication: | GB |
| Publishing Date: | 2017-05-04 |
