English Vocabulary: The Basics

Michael McCarthy

• Editore: Routledge
• Anno: 2022
• ISBN:
  9781000787948
• Edizione: 1
• Argomento: Languages & Linguistics
• Categoria: Linguistics

English Vocabulary: The Basics offers a clear, non-jargonistic introduction to English vocabulary, the way linguists classify and explain it, and the place of vocabulary in our overall picture of the language, and in society. Introducing a range of terminology for discussing vocabulary, the reader is provided with a coherent, structured description of what we know about words and their meanings.

Key features of this book include:

• Analysis of historical roots of present-day words

• Coverage of the differences between speech and writing and between formality and informality

• Understanding of the social implications of choices that readers make to use standard or non-standard (e.g., regional/dialect) vocabulary

• A focus on British English with reference to a wide range of varieties of English that include North American English, Irish English, Indian English, Malaysian English, Nigerian English and Caribbean English.

Featuring a glossary of key terms, cartoons and illustrations, further reading, reflection points, interesting "factoids" and examples from corpora from around the world, this book is an engaging and thought-provoking read for anyone with an interest in English vocabulary.

Indice dei contenuti

• Cover
• Half Title
• Series Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication Page
• Contents
• Acknowledgements
• Introduction to the Reader
• 1 A Word or Two about Words
• 2 Where Do English Words Come From?
• 3 What Does It All Mean?
• 4 Beating about the Bush: Figurative Meaning
• 5 Bear This in Mind: The Mental Lexicon
• 6 Vocabulary in Action
• Glossary of Key Terms
• References
• Index