Now in paperback, in the tradition of E. H. Gombrich's A Little History of the World, a lively journey through the story of language

With a language disappearing every two weeks and neologisms springing up almost daily, an understanding of the origins and currency of language has never seemed more relevant. In this charming volume, a narrative history written explicitly for a young audience, expert linguist David Crystal proves why the story of language deserves retelling.

From the first words of an infant to the peculiar modern dialect of text messaging, A Little Book of Language ranges widely, revealing language's myriad intricacies and quirks. In animated fashion, Crystal sheds light on the development of unique linguistic styles, the origins of obscure accents, and the search for the first written word. He discusses the plight of endangered languages, as well as successful cases of linguistic revitalization. Much more than a history, Crystal's work looks forward to the future of language, exploring the effect of technology on our day-to-day reading, writing, and speech. Through enlightening tables, diagrams, and quizzes, as well as Crystal's avuncular and entertaining style, A Little Book of Language will reveal the story of language to be a captivating tale for all ages.

• We started tracking this book on March 25, 2012.
• This book was £6.48 when we started tracking it.
• The price of this book has changed 220 times in the past 4,872 days.
• The current price of this book is £4.49 last checked 17 hours ago.
• The lowest price to date was £4.49 last reached on July 12, 2025.
• This book has been £4.49 one time since we started tracking it.
• The highest price to date was £13.25 last reached on March 13, 2020.
• This book has been £13.25 one time since we started tracking it.
• This book is currently at its lowest price since we started tracking it.

• Education & ReferenceWords, Language & GrammarEtymology

• Publication Date: March 13, 2010
• Text-to-Speech: Disabled
• Lending: Disabled
• Print Length: 317 Pages
• File Size: 49 KB