A history of the English language
R. Hogg and D. Denison, Editors
Cambridge
Cambridge University Press
2006
Pp. xiii + 495
ISBN 0-521-662277-3 (hbk)

Weeds in the garden of words: further observations on the tangled history of the English language
K. Burridge
Cambridge
Cambridge University Press
2005
Pp. ix + 196
ISBN 0-521-61823-1 (pbk)

Reviewed by Vicki A. Sanders

Both of these texts concern themselves with the history and development of English vocabulary, syntax, and pronunciation, but they differ dramatically in approach, due to their very divergent intended audiences. A History of the English Language is a lengthy exercise in scholarly writing intended for specialists in the study of language such as linguists, philologists, and ethnographers. It is closely analogous to volumes commonly used as textbooks, such as the well-known book of the same title by Baugh and Cable. Weeds in the Garden of Words, in contrast, is aimed toward a generalist reader evincing a casual concern with the study of language development. In the same way as The Story of English by McCrum, Cran, and MacNeil and its PBS special of the same name from the 1980’s, the book uses a casual style to entice non-specialists while still containing a good deal of meaningful content. Both volumes are adequate examinations of their intended subjects, though their writing styles vary dramatically and contribute to the latter volume’s far greater accessibility to the untrained reader.

The Hogg and Denison volume seeks clarity and completeness throughout, beginning with a lengthy “Overview” that encapsulates over one thousand years of history during which English demonstrably changed in response to pressures of economic, social, and cultural origin. Going all the way back to the original Germanic roots of the language, the overview contemplates the emergences of variations in English through both time and space. Though no real new information is provided in this section, the overview does adequately justify the categorical and chronological organization of the volume throughout and serves as a functional general description of the best knowledge currently available in the field.

Further chapters investigate, in turn, phonology and morphology, syntax, vocabulary, standardization, names, English in Great Britain, English in North America, and English worldwide. While this organizational plan is exceedingly comprehensive and detailed, it does have some clear flaws, chiefly the fact that many of the chapters re-cover ground already mapped in earlier sections. The fact that the chapters were written by various contributors likely also contributes to this stylistic problem. For example, the chapter on morphology and phonology exhaustively considers the development of sounds in English words from Old English to modern English, presenting ample documentary evidence for how word sounds from past eras can be deduced in various ways, as well as how introduction of new vocabulary, via mixing of cultures through colonization and social mobility, alters pronunciation. Some of these same notions regarding vowel changes and orthological changes also appear in the chapters concerning standardization, as well as in the chapters on English in Britain, in North America, and as spoken worldwide. Another issue for the general consumer is that the book assumes the reader comprehends the specialized vocabulary of linguistics, with terms such as “postvocalic,” “diphthongal,” “monophthong,” “univerbation,” and so on. For this reason alone, this book would not be suitable for those not already in possession of some basic linguistic knowledge.

The Burridge book, by contrast, does not aim at anything like comprehensiveness when discussing the development of English. The author based the book on a regular radio program she moderates regarding language, and it follows the episodic and casual nature of such a venue. Nevertheless, she covers many of the same topics addressed in the Hogg and Denison volume, though necessarily in less detail. In fact, she also examines the evidence for ancient pronunciation, summing up the available information in one or two short sections that are far more straightforward to the average reader. Her brief asides regarding the change occurring in spelling and usage of common words and word groups from root languages such as Old English and Middle English provide lucid information about how the conversions happened over time and what prompted the evolution. Due to the conversational nature of the writing, this volume is particularly user-friendly and would be practical for even a beginner level language class. One minor drawback for some users may be the fact that Burridge chiefly considers English as spoken in Australia, her home country. Nevertheless, she acknowledges changes common among the various world speakers of the language, and in several sections of the book she specifically take ups the ways in which these usages affect and influence each other, particularly the growing and (to many) troublesome influence of American usage and pronunciation on other countries.

While she introduces few opinions that are novel, Burridge’s book does have an especially valuable chapter entitled “The Truly Nasty Weeds of the English Language” in which she tackles the problems of pejorative vocabulary and speech patterns, such as “PC language,” deliberate deception through vocabulary and syntax, euphemisms, and other such colorings of vocabulary for negative purposes. In particular, her examination of terminology used to describe the mentally ill and mental illness in general is unique and extraordinarily thought-provoking. This chapter alone makes Weeds in the Garden of Words well worth reading for anyone interested in how active language functions in society.

Even though A History of the English Language is not recommended for every reader due to its density and complexity, it does have several sections that make for fascinating reading, as they treat familiar subjects in noteworthy ways. Particularly recommended are the sections on “Principles of word formation” and “Word formation” in the Vocabulary chapter, both of which amply cover their respective topics in intelligible language. The chapter on “Names” covers the evolution of names, the need for names in the first place, and common sources for English place and personal names. The subsections on early names, new names, and modern developments in personal names and surnames are especially instructive and a pleasure to read.