{"product_id":"our-magnificent-bastard-tongue-the-untold-history-of-english-paperback","title":"Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue: The Untold History of English - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eJohn McWhorter\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA survey of the quirks and quandaries of the English language, focusing on our strange and wonderful grammar\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWhy do we say \"I am reading a catalog\" instead of \"I read a catalog\"? Why do we say \"do\" at all? Is the way we speak a reflection of our cultural values? Delving into these provocative topics and more, Our Magnificent Bastard Language distills hundreds of years of fascinating lore into one lively history. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eCovering such turning points as the little-known Celtic and Welsh influences on English, the impact of the Viking raids and the Norman Conquest, and the Germanic invasions that started it all during the fifth century ad, John McWhorter narrates this colorful evolution with vigor. Drawing on revolutionary genetic and linguistic research as well as a cache of remarkable trivia about the origins of English words and syntax patterns, \u003ci\u003eOur Magnificent Bastard Tongue \u003c\/i\u003eultimately demonstrates the arbitrary, maddening nature of English-- and its ironic simplicity due to its role as a streamlined lingua franca during the early formation of Britain. This is the book that language aficionados worldwide have been waiting for (and no, it's not a sin to end a sentence with a preposition).\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eJohn McWhorter is the author of the bestseller \u003cb\u003eLosing the Race: Self-Sabotage in Black America\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003eThe Power of Babel: A Natural History of Language\u003c\/b\u003e, and four other books. He is associate professor of linguistics at the University of California at Berkeley, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, and a contributing editor to \u003cb\u003eThe City Journal\u003c\/b\u003e and \u003cb\u003eThe New Republic\u003c\/b\u003e. He has been profiled in the \u003cb\u003eLos Angeles Times\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003eThe Washington Post\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003eThe Philadelphia Inquirer\u003c\/b\u003e, and has appeared on \u003cb\u003eDateline NBC\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003ePolitically Incorrect\u003c\/b\u003e, and \u003cb\u003eThe NewsHour with Jim Lehrer\u003c\/b\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 256\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.68 x 7.22 x 5.02 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e October 01, 2009\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51771202601248,"sku":"9781592404940","price":17.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0974\/9764\/5344\/files\/f0679154ad76499bd68135064f93e2c9.webp?v=1780383056","url":"https:\/\/ebocreations.com\/products\/our-magnificent-bastard-tongue-the-untold-history-of-english-paperback","provider":"The E-Book Oasis LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}