Language Between Description and Prescription Verbs and Verb Categories in Nineteenth-Century Grammars of English |
|
| Author:
| Anderwald, Lieselotte |
| Series title: | Oxford Studies in the History of English Ser. |
| ISBN: | 978-0-19-027067-4 |
| Publication Date: | Jul 2016 |
| Publisher: | Oxford University Press, Incorporated
|
| Book Format: | Hardback |
| List Price: | USD $195.00 |
Book Description:
|
Based on 258 English grammar books, Language Between Description and Prescription investigates nineteenth-century grammar writing relating to actual language change, especially in the verb phrase. Lieselotte Andewald proposes that not all changes were noticed in the first place, and those that were noticed were not necessarily criticized. The book also demonstrates that though grammars were prescriptivist, their effect was at best minimal.
Based on 258 English grammar books, Language Between Description and Prescription investigates nineteenth-century grammar writing relating to actual language change, especially in the verb phrase. Lieselotte Andewald proposes that not all changes were noticed in the first place, and those that were noticed were not necessarily criticized. The book also demonstrates that though grammars were prescriptivist, their effect was at best minimal.