The History of English in 100 Words by David Crystal is a fascinating book to dip in and out of when you have a few moments free. I actually listened to it on audio where it is narrated by the author but I think that I would like to have a paper version so I could maybe read a word each day.
The words that the author incudes are specifically chosen to show the development of the English language and to give examples of types of word and how things changed through the years. It’s the sort of book that gives you little snippets of interesting information which you want to share immediately with others – at least that was my experience. Each entry is just long enough to get you interested but never too long to be boring. When you take all the entries as a whole you find that you have learned something about the progression and change in the English language through the years, although if you want to study that in detail then you would need to read some other books as well.
Examples of words which we learn about are “okay”, “lord”, “fopdoodle”, “matrix” and “pork”. The author tells us when they first came into use and their origin. He then shows us what sort of word they are and what other words are similar. Where words have changed their meanings over the years he explains why and how that happened. He includes little anecdotes and a few of his own opinions (he is, for example, not a stickler for what we might consider correct grammar).
The author obviously loves words and this book is a celebration of language and all its nuances. I found it a delight to read.
Anne Is Reading 