Talk on the wild side : why language can't be tamed

The Resource Talk on the wild side : why language can't be tamed
Label
Talk on the wild side : why language can't be tamed
Title remainder
why language can't be tamed
Statement of responsibility
Lane Greene
Creator
Author
Subject
Language
eng
Summary
"Language is a wild thing. It is vague and anarchic. Style, meaning, and usage are continually on the move. Throughout history, for every mutation, idiosyncrasy, and ubiquitous mistake, there have been countervailing rules, pronouncements and systems making some attempt to bring language to heel. From the utopian language-builder to the stereotypical grammatical stickler to the programmer trying to teach a computer to translate, Lane Greene takes the reader through a multi-disciplinary survey of the many different ways in which we attempt to control language, exploring the philosophies, motivations, and complications of each. The result is a highly readable caper that covers history, linguistics, politics, and grammar with the ease and humor of a dinner party anecdote. Talk on the Wild Side is both a guide to the great debates and controversies of usage, and a love letter to language itself. Holding it together is Greene's infectious enthusiasm for his subject. While you can walk away with the finer points of who says "whom" and the strange history of "buxom" schoolboys, most of all, it inspires awe in language itself: for its elegance, resourcefulness, and power."--publisher's description
Cataloging source
YDX
Dewey number
417
Illustrations
illustrations
Index
index present
LC call number
P121
LC item number
.G7474 2018
Literary form
non fiction
Nature of contents
bibliography

Context

Context of Talk on the wild side : why language can't be tamed

Work of

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