Book: Language on the move.Byline: CHRIS BURGESS The Secret Life Of The English Language English language, member of the West Germanic group of the Germanic subfamily of the Indo-European family of languages (see Germanic languages). Spoken by about 470 million people throughout the world, English is the official language of about 45 nations. by Martin H Manser, Phoenix, pounds 7.99 POET T S Eliot once remarked that our language - so full of delight and curiosity - will not stay still. And here Manser offers a guided tour of English, exploring the origins of words, their changing meaning, lexical peculiarities, word games and lost words. Idioms, catchphrases, proverbs, eponyms, acronymns and spoonerisms abound, while text messages cavort ca·vort intr.v. ca·vort·ed, ca·vort·ing, ca·vorts 1. To bound or prance about in a sprightly manner; caper. 2. alongside business jargon and rap slang. This is an entertaining compendiumshowing, above all else, that words have a matchless power to entertain. CHRIS B URGESS |
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