“The Shape of English: Structure and History” answers the need for an authoritative and comprehensive study of English as a whole, including structure, history and dialectology, both regional and social. Professor Lass deals not only with the well-known standard British and American varieties, but goes beyond them, to include less well-known dialects such as Scots and South African English, among others. He gives the reader the advantage of viewing English in the context of linguistics, rather than as an autonomous, separate subject; and he is concerned to see English not only as a language type, but as a Germanic language.

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(From the front flap of the book)