Search -
The American Language: A Preliminary Inquiry Into the Development of English in the United States
The American Language A Preliminary Inquiry Into the Development of English in the United States Author:H. L. Mencken Perhaps the first truly important book about the divergence of American English from its British roots, this survey of the language as it was spoken-and as it was changing-at the beginning of the 20th century comes via one of its most inveterate watchers, journalist, critic, and editor HENRY LOUIS MENCKEN (1880-1956). In this replica of the 1921... more » "revised and enlarged" second edition, Mencken turns his keen ear on: ? the general character of American English ? loan-words and non-English influences ? expletives and forbidden words ? American slang ? the future of the language ? and much, much more. Anyone fascinated by words will find this a thoroughly enthralling look at the most changeable language on the face of the planet.« less