Evolution of English

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The history of English spans over 1500 years, evolving from humble beginnings to become the world’s most significant language, with 300 to 400 million native speakers and around one billion who speak it as a second or foreign language. It serves as the lingua franca in various fields such as science, economics, and international relations. This prominence has drawn considerable attention from linguists, leading to extensive research on its history, structure, and usage. Different methods of organizing this material have been proposed, including chronological and linguistic level approaches. This volume adopts a balanced presentation, utilizing a chronological approach in chapter 3 to outline the historical periods of English—Indo-European, Germanic, Old English, Middle English, Early Modern English, and Modern English. Subsequent chapters employ a systematic approach, addressing phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics, vocabulary, and varieties of English. The focus is on how the evolution of English impacts present-day usage, introducing relevant methods, approaches, and technical terms throughout. To facilitate access, the book includes indices, appendices, a glossary, and a detailed table of contents. It is designed for anyone interested in the subject, especially students preparing for papers or exams on the history of English.