The Prodigal Tongue
The Love-hate Relationship Between American and British English
Penguin Publishing Group · Print & ebook · April 10, 2018
CHOSEN BY THE ECONOMIST AS A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR An American linguist teaching in England explores the sibling rivalry between British and American English “English accents are the sexiest.” “Americans have ruined the English language.” Such claims about the English language are often repeated but rarely examined.
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- Who it’s for
- A witty look at the prejudices and histories separating British and American English.
- Themes
- British and American English, Language stereotypes and insecurities, Social forces shaping English
- Genres
- Sociolinguistics, Historical Linguistics, Language Humor
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Start with this bookAbout this book
CHOSEN BY THE ECONOMIST AS A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR An American linguist teaching in England explores the sibling rivalry between British and American English “English accents are the sexiest.” “Americans have ruined the English language.” Such claims about the English language are often repeated but rarely examined. Professor Lynne Murphy is on the linguistic front line.
Continue reading
In The Prodigal Tongue she explores the fiction and reality of the special relationship between British and American English. By examining the causes and symptoms of American Verbal Inferiority Complex and its flipside, British Verbal Superiority Complex, Murphy unravels the prejudices, stereotypes and insecurities that shape our attitudes to our own language. With great humo(u)r and new insights, Lynne Murphy looks at the social, political and linguistic forces that have driven American and British English in different directions: how Americans got from centre to center, why British accents are growing away from American ones, and what different things we mean when we say estate, frown, or middle class. Is anyone winning this war of the words? Will Yanks and Brits ever really understand each other?
Across the Divide
A witty look at the prejudices and histories separating British and American English.
Come here for
- Language quirks with social and political lives
- A closer look at familiar claims about English
Expect
- Humor alongside questions of accent and usage
- British and American English viewed through mutual assumptions
Where it sits
| Sociolinguistics | 92% |
|---|---|
| Historical Linguistics | 39% |
| Language Humor | 37% |
Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.
Publisher categories
- Linguistics
- Historical Linguistics
- Literacy
- Authors
- Lynne Murphy
- Publisher
- Penguin Publishing Group
- Published
- April 10, 2018
- Format
- Print & ebook
- Theme
- British and American English · Language stereotypes and insecurities · Social forces shaping English
- Reading lane
- Linguistics