The Treasure of Our Tongue : The Story of English from Its Obscure Beginnings to Its Present Eminence as the Most Widely Spoken Language on Earth

The subtitle tells us that this is 'The Story of English from Its Obscure Beginnings to Its Present Eminence'. Lincoln Barnett tells us this story in very readable prose that is meant for the general audience and he certainly succeeded in capturing my interest.The book gives us a great deal of the history of language in general and a great deal of the history of England in order to explain the origins of what he calls the 'great river of English'. Even though scholars have modified their views in the nearly fifty years since 'Treasure' was written it is still a good introduction to the subject of 'Where did English come from?' The last chapter, in which Barnett skewered the loosening of standards in the teaching of English and deplored show more the proliferation of jargon in all areas of government and academia, left me thinking that we haven't improved much, if any, in these areas. show less

Fifty plus years old but still informative and and a delight to read. English has indeed taken over huge portions of the world and Dr. Barnett succinctly explains why as well as exploring its antecedents and origins. A good reference book too for a writer.

a favorite. Introduced me to the joys of the English language.