Growth and Structure of the English Language

This study traces how English developed from its early Germanic beginnings into the language spoken today. Otto Jespersen, a Danish linguist, follows the waves of change that brought Scandinavian words, French vocabulary and classical influence into English, and shows how these contacts reshaped both its word stock and its grammar. He examines the language's structural logic, its long drift toward simplicity, and the range of nuance it allows. The book also looks at word origins and at the social and cultural forces behind how English is spoken and written. Written for readers interested in philology, history and linguistics, it remains a useful guide to how English came to be.