In this fascinating book Cambridge linguist Walter W. Skeat (1835-1912) offers a short, accessible introduction to the history of English dialects. Beginning in early medieval times, he traces each dialect through over twelve centuries of development, explaining some of the the factors that gradually shaped them. Viking invasions, the Norman Conquest, and linguistic processes such as phonetic decay slowly transformed vocabulary, pronunciation, spelling, and grammar. The rise of the midland variety and its eventual acceptance as standard British English is discussed in detail.
This reprint is a carefully prepared facsimile of the original edition published by Cambridge University Press in 1911. It includes SkeatÕs rare reproduction of the thirteenth-century manuscript known as ÒThe only English Proclamation of Henry IIIÓ.