#the story of english in 100 words

My friend leant me this to read over the weekend (last week) and I’m so glad I asked if I could - it was simply fascinating. From the first definitively English word ‘Roe’ found engraved on the femur of a Roe deer, to modern words which are being formed as we speak (or type) such as Twittersphere (which I would like to add now has a red line beneath it - Tumblr, you need to update your dictionary!) David Crystal talks through the history of 100 words and how their history shaped the language we speak today.

I won’t give too many spoilers but the amount of information given for each word is incredible, some words which seem modern are in fact centuries old and their history is surprising but makes perfect sense. Crystal also manages to include all manner of words - polite words and quite obscure words, including those which are seen by most as taboo (the c word is actually one of his 100). Phrases are also mentioned as they’re dependant on the formation of certain words and how they change (either spelling or adding prefixes/suffixes).

This is well worth a read whether you’re into English, history or just general knowledge. It’s just super fascinating!