Includes bibliographical references (p. [303]-312) and index.
Contents
The common tongue -- The great escape -- Conquest -- Holding on -- The speech of kings -- Chaucer -- God's english -- English and the language of the state -- William Tyndale's bible -- A renaissance of words -- Preparing the ground -- Shakespeare's english -- "My America" -- Wild west words -- Sold down the river -- Mastering the language -- The proper way to talk -- Steam, streets and slang -- Indian takeover -- The West Indies -- Advance Australia -- Warts and all -- All over the world -- And now ...?