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9780738204468

Word On The Street Debunking The Myth Of A Pure Standard English

by
  • ISBN13:

    9780738204468

  • ISBN10:

    0738204463

  • Format: Paperback
  • Copyright: 2001-01-25
  • Publisher: Basic Books

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Summary

Though there is a contingent of linguists who fight the fact, our language is always changing--not only through slang, but sound, syntax, and words' meanings as well. Debunking the myth of "pure" standard English, tackling controversial positions, and eschewing politically correct arguments, linguist John McWhorter considers speech patterns and regional accents to demonstrate just how the changes do occur. Wielding reason and humor, McWhorter ultimately explains why we must embrace these changes, ultimately revealing our American English in all its variety, expressiveness, and power.

Author Biography

John McWhorter is Assistant Professor of Linguistics at the University of California at Berkeley. A specialist in pidgin and Creole languages, he lives in Oakland, California.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1(7)
Part One. Language: A Living Organism
The Heart of the Matter: Lava Lamps and Language
7(28)
Natural Seasonings: The Linguistic Melting Pot
35(26)
Part Two. Three Faces of Modern English through a New Lens
Leave Your Language Alone: The ``Speech Error'' Hoax
61(26)
In Centenary Honor of Mark H. Liddell: The Shakespearean Tragedy
87(30)
Missing the Nose on Our Face: Pronouns and the Feminist Revolution
117(10)
Part Three. Black English Is, Black English Ain't
Black English: Is You Is or Is You Ain't a Language?
127(28)
An African Language in North Philadelphia?: Black English and the Mother Continent
155(46)
Dialect in the Headlines: Black English in the Classroom?
201(62)
Afterword: As We Travel On 263(10)
Sources 273(10)
Acknowledgments 283(2)
Index 285

Supplemental Materials

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