A History of the English Language

by Albert C. Baugh, Thomas Cable

Overview

A classic text that provides a comprehensive and balanced exploration of the history of the English language from the Middle Ages to the present and combines internal linguistic history and external cultural history. Emphasizes the political, social, and cultural forces that affect language; contains Old and Middle English syntax; features Chicano English, Caribbean English, English in Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Black English and varieties of English in Africa, Asia, Australia, and Canada. An important reference for upper level courses in the history of the English language

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781032953632
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	02/27/2026
Edition description:	7th ed.
Pages:	482
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.19(h) x (d)

About the Author

Albert C. Baugh was Schelling Memorial Professor at the University of Pennsylvania, USA.

Thomas Cable is the Jane Weinert Blumberg Chair Emeritus in English at the University of Texas at Austin, USA.

Table of Contents

1. English Present and Future.
2. The Indo-European Family of Languages.
3. Old English.
4. Foreign Influences on Old English.
5. The Norman Conquest and the Subjection of English, 1066-1200.
6. The Re-establishment of English, 1200-1500.
7. Middle English.
8. The Renaissance, 1500-1650.
9. The Appeal to Authority, 1650-1800.
10. The Nineteenth Century and After.
11. The English Language in America.
Appendix A: Specimens of the Middle English Dialects.
Appendix B: English Spelling. Index.

Editorial Reviews

"This classic has beeen thoroughly revised and updated. It has expanded its coverage of the history of English, and incorporates topics of new fields of research. The sixth edition will serve its readers well."- Peter Erdmann, Technische University, Berlin, Germany

From the Publisher