The encyclopedia is designed as a reference work on the history, structure, and use of English. The first section outlines five phases in the development of the English language (origins, Old English, Middle English, Early Modern English, Modern English) and then proceeds to the varieties of world English and perceptions of English and its future.…

Presented is a systematic linguistic description of such features as intonation and stress, usually summed up in the phrase "tone of voice." Paying special attention to English, the author has aimed to present as complete a description as possible, and to clarify the theoretical concepts needed to talk precisely about these phenomena. Following…

This book, geared particularly toward beginning college and university students, treats style within the framework of general language variation, the discussion focusing chiefly on linguistic differences (both written and spoken) observed in everyday life, rather than on those found in poetry and belles lettres. The discussion is divided between…