This book focuses on the varieties of Birmingham and the industrial heartland of the Black Country. This volume focuses on the closely allied yet differing linguistic varieties of Birmingham and its immediate neighbour to the west, the industrial heartland of the Black Country. Both of these areas rose to economic prominence and success during the Industrial Revolution, and both have suffered economically and socially as a result of post-war industrial decline. The industrial heritage of both areas has meant that tight-knit and socially homogeneous individual areas in each region have continued to exhibit linguistic features, especially morphological constructions, peculiar to these areas or now restricted to these areas. At the same time immigration and increased social mobility have meant that newly developing structures and more widespread UK linguistic phenomena have spread into these varieties. This volume provides a clear description of the structure of the linguistic varieties spoken in the two areas. It provides a comprehensive overview of the phonological, grammatical and lexical structure of both varieties. It gives a thorough discussion of the historical and social factors behind the development of the varieties and the attached stigma. It discusses the unusual situation of the Black Country - an area undefined in geographical and administrative terms, existing only in the imagination. It uses of the variety from native speakers of differing ethnicities, ages and genders. It includes an annotated bibliography for further consultation.

Published in 1897, this two-volume work by Robert Seymour Conway (1864 1933), classical scholar and comparative philologist, later Hulme Professor of Latin at the University of Manchester, aims to shed light on the origins of the Latin language and Roman institutions by careful examination of the dialects and customs of Rome's neighbours. The work is laid out in geographical order, so that the influence of one dialect on its neighbours can be traced. The first volume collects all the surviving remains of Oscan, Umbrian and other minor Italic dialects, gleaned primarily from epigraphic sources (such as Oscan inscriptions at Pompeii), but also from the evidence of coins, glosses and other references in later writers, and geographical and proper names from the dialect areas. The second volume contains an alphabet, a grammar and syntax of the dialects, appendices, indexes of names and a glossary of the dialect words.

GET D!RTY!
Next time you're signing with your friends, drop the ASL textbook formality and start flashing the signs they don't teach in any classroom, including:
- cool slang
- funny insults
- explicit sex terms
- raw swear words
"Dirty Sign Language" teaches casual everyday words and expressions like:
- Peace out!
- Asshole.
- Bit me!
- Dumbfuck!
- Boner
- I'm hung like a horse.

Book & CD-ROM. During the mid-20th century, old South Greenlanders still spoke their genuine dialects when Maliaraq Vebaek, herself a South Greenlander, born 1917, collected on tape stories and descriptions of pre-modern daily life from 42 informants. In this volume, the texts appear in dialectal transcription and translated into English, as well as in sound on the inserted CD-ROM, containing the tape recordings. Among the South Greenlandic dialects, the southernmost from the Cape Farewell region, which is now extinct, attracts particular interest, because this area received emigrants from the gradually depopulated south-east coast during the 19th century. The so-called qavak-dialect of the Cape Farewell region thus became an interesting mixture of the southeast and southwest Greenlandic dialects. This publication is targetted at linguists and is the first and only presentation of the South Greenlandic dialects. A phonological introduction is offered for the benefit of the linguists, but any reader of English (or the dialects) interested in stories, Greenland etc. can fully enjoy the texts.

Over last thirty years, new technology, fashion, and social set-ups have spawned new cliches galore. Everything on the Internet is available at the 'click of a mouse', TV presenters ask the audience to 'give it up' when they want them to applaud, call centres tell us 'we value your call' even though 'all our operators are busy'. And if you're 'gobsmacked' by all this you may be told to 'get a life', 'chill out' or 'whatever'. It's Not Rocket Science sifts through all aspects of modern life to find the most prevalent, ubiquitous and downright irritating cliches of our age. This high-octane, caffeine-fuelled, dictionary of cliches highlights the freshly-hackneyed phrases we're being subjected to 24/7. So how good is that? And what's not to like?

First published in 1961, Jamaica Talk is a thorough study of the English spoken in Jamaica and, although intended for the general educated reader rather than the linguistic specialist, has a foundation of sound scholarship, which makes it an authoritative classic. The late Professor Cassidy was born and reared in Jamaica and collected most of the material for his book when he was attached to the University College of the West Indies as Fulbright research fellow. There are chapters on the composition of "Jamaica talk," on pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary. The book is an invaluable reference in all institutions that have language departments, and as a handbook for Jamaicans and for interested visitors to the island.

Shape up your English with thousands of idioms.

Whether you are a learner of English who is having difficulty understanding expressions in everyday speech or a native speaker who wants to expand your written or spoken range, you need a comprehensive reference for idioms, common phrases, and sayings of American English. "McGraw-Hill's American Idioms Dictionary" shows you the ropes of English and helps you: . . Expand your English-speaking abilities with these 14,000-plus expressions, proverbs, and common sayings, listed alphabetically . Use American idioms correctly by following the many helpful examples . Easily find the right phrase by one of its key words . . .

Some examples of the colorful English language, as spoken by Americans: .

at peace relaxed and happy
. every trick in the book every deceptive method known
. Johnny-on-the-spot someone who is in the right place at the right time
. make a killing to have a great success, especially in making money
. nine-to-five job a job with normal daytime hours
. scream bloody murder to complain bitterly
. take a powder to leave; to leave town

The contributors to this collection address a range of issues in Caribbean linguistics. At this stage of Caribbean development, it is critical that we have a broader appreciation of the significance of the languages of the region for developing a deeper sense of self and for understanding others who have shared a common Caribbean experience. The linguists in this volume interrogate the interpretations of the history of our Caribbean languages, the use of these languages for literary expression and their role in the democratization of education and the development of Caribbean people. Several of the articles deal with profoundly controversial topics, including the question of competence in a Creole environment; the expansion of Rastafarianism globally and how word-formation devices reflect Rastafarian thinking; the use of the vernacular in West Indian education; the relevance of vernacular literacy for education; the use of Creole in Caribbean literary texts; and how to determine dialect boundaries, especially in linguistic situations in which Creoles from two distinct lexical bases vie for social space and supremacy. The work is dedicated to the distinguished Caribbean linguist Pauline Christie and celebrates her contribution to the study of linguistics in the Caribbean.

This book presents a new and controversial theory about dialect contact and the formation of new colonial dialects. It examines the genesis of Latin American Spanish, Canadian French and North American English, but concentrates on Australian and South African English, with a particular emphasis on the development of the newest major variety of the language, New Zealand English. Peter Trudgill argues that the linguistic growth of these new varieties of English was essentially deterministic, in the sense that their phonologies are the predictable outcome of the mixture of dialects taken from the British Isles to the Southern Hemisphere in the 19th century. These varieties are similar to one another, not because of historical connections between them, but because they were formed out of similar mixtures according to the same principles. A key argument is that social factors such as social status, prestige and stigma played no role in the early years of colonial dialect development, and that the 'work' of colonial new-dialect formation was carried out by children over a period of two generations. The book also uses insights derived from the study of early forms of these colonial dialects to shed light back on the nature of 19th-century English in the British Isles.

Polari has been the secret language of gay men and women through the twentieth century. But more than a language, Polari is an attitude. From the prisons and music halls of Edwardian England to Kenneth Williams, American Gls in London and the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, Polari has been used to laugh, bitch, gossip and cruise. Like all slang, Polari users coined an ever-changing vocabulary. Derived from words used by criminals, circus artists, beggars and prostitutes, it also employed Italian, Yiddish, French, rhyming slang and backslang. Polari speakers camped up a storm, from West End chorus boys and office workers to East End sea-queens. Since gay liberation, lesbian and gay slang has become less a language of concealment than a language of specialization, though the tradition of camp remains. A carefully researched and entertaining read, Fantabulosa presents a lexicon of Polari and a more general dictionary of lesbian and gay slang. If you don't yet know what vada the bona cartes on the ommee ajax, parkering ninty, a Mexican nightmare or a nellyectomy mean, then this is the book for you.

The Edinburgh Companion to Scots is a comprehensive introduction to the study of older and present-day Scots language. The aim of the volume is to explain and illustrate methods of research into Scots and Scottish English. Topics include the grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation of contemporary speech in Scotland, and the investigation of Older Scots written texts. There is further coverage of issues such as modern literary Scots, language planning, placenames and personal names, and the development of Scots overseas. Each chapter gives a brief overview of the topic, and provides case studies to illustrate avenues of exploration for those beginning to develop research techniques. The book is designed as an accessible introduction to key issues and methods of investigation for undergraduate students interested in the way language has developed in Scotland.

Drawing on an extensive corpus of original data, this comprehensive linguistic study of Jersey Norman French offers historical and dialectological sketches, an assessment of language planning on Jersey, and an account of language change in progress. Mari Catrin Jones evaluates four different types of linguistic influence found on contemporary Jersey, including the substrate influence of Jersey Norman French on Jersey English. Jones further establishes the relevance of Jersey Norman French to the field of language obsolescence.

This book will be of interest to postgraduates and researchers studying varieties of French, and language obsolescence and change.

The cowboy — that enigmatic, larger-than-life icon of our culture —has long been considered a figure of fast hands, steel nerves, and few words. But according to Ramon Adams, cowboys, once among themselves, enjoyed a vivid, often boisterous repartee. You might say that around a campfire they could make more noise than “a jackass in a tin barn.” Here in one volume is a complete guide to cowboy-speak. Like many of today’s foreign language guides, this handy book is organized not alphabetically but situationally, lest you find yourself in Texas at a loss for words. There are sections on the ranch, the cowboy’s duties, riding equipment, the roundup, roping, branding, even square dancing. There are words and phrases you’ll recognize because they’ve filtered into everyday language — “blue lightnin’,” “star gazin’,” “the whole shebang” — plus countless others that, sadly, are seldom heard in current speech: “lonely as a preacher on pay night,” “restless as a hen on a hot griddle,” “crooked as a snake in a cactus patch.” As entertaining as it is authoritative, COWBOY LINGO captures the living speech of the Great Plains and serves as a window into the soul of the American West.

What do you call a paper bag in Scots? How would you describe a dull day in Scots? This comprehensive dictionary of words and phrases is for all who want to use the Scots language. * A unique dictionary, with 15,000 English-Scots entries * Many examples showing Scots in use * Clear layout, easily understood entries

Winner, A Choice Outstanding Academic Book When the Oakland, California, school board called African American English "Ebonics" and claimed that it "is not a black dialect or any dialect of English," they reignited a debate over language, race, and culture that reaches back to the era of slavery in the United States. In this book, John Baugh, an authority on African American English, sets new parameters for the debate by dissecting and challenging many of the prevailing myths about African American language and its place in American society. Baugh's inquiry ranges from the origins of African American English among slaves and their descendants to its recent adoption by standard English speakers of various races. Some of the topics he considers include practices and malpractices for educating language minority students, linguistic discrimination in the administration of justice, cross-cultural communication between Blacks and whites, and specific linguistic aspects of African American English. This detailed overview of the main points of debate about African American language will be important reading for both scholars and the concerned public.

This is the first full scale attempt to record the diachronic development of this important English language variety and includes extensive essays by some of the foremost international scholars of the Scots language. The book attempts to provide a detailed and technical description of the syntax, phonology, morphology and vocabulary of the language in two main periods: the beginnings to 1700 and from 1700 to the present day. The language's geographical variation both in the past and at the present time are fully documented and the sociolinguistic forces which lie behind linguistic innovation and its transmission provide a principal theme running through the book. WINNER of the Saltire society/National Library of Scotland Scottish Research Book of the Year Award

Slang is often seen as a lesser form of language, one that is simply not as meaningful or important as its 'regular' counterpart. Connie Eble refutes this notion as she reveals the sources, poetry, symbolism, and subtlety of informal slang expressions. In Slang and Sociability , Eble explores the words and phrases that American college students use casually among themselves. Based on more than 10,000 examples submitted by Eble's students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill over the last twenty years, the book shows that slang is dynamic vocabulary that cannot be dismissed as deviant or marginal. Like more formal words and phrases, slang is created, modified, and transmitted by its users to serve their own purposes. In the case of college students, these purposes include cementing group identity and opposing authority. The book includes a glossary of the more than 1,000 slang words and phrases discussed in the text, as well as a list of the 40 most enduring terms since 1972. Examples from the glossary: group gropes -- encounter groups squirrel kisser -- environmentalist Goth -- student who dresses in black and listens to avant-garde music bad bongos -- situation in which things do not go well triangle -- person who is stupid or not up on the latest za -- pizza smoke -- to perform well dead soldier -- empty beer container toast -- in big trouble, the victim of misfortune parental units -- parents |In this updated edition of his balanced and concise look at the still-controversial decision to use atomic bombs against Japan, Walker takes into account more recent scholarship on the topic, including new findings on the Japanese decision to surrender.

Susan Buck-Morss examines and stresses the significance of Critical Theory for young West Germ intellectuals after World War II. Looking at the differences between German and American situations during this time period, Origin of Negative Dialectics convincingly sketches the learning process that ended in antagonism. "[The Origin of Negative Dialectics] is by far the best introduction for the American reader to the complex, esoteric, and illusive structure of thought of one of the most seminal Marxian thinkers of the twentieth century. It belongs on the same shelf as Martin Jay's history of the Frankfurt School, The Dialectical Imagination." - Lewis A. Coser, State University of New York, Stony Brook

Using W. Von Wartburg's critical bibliography of dialect and patois as a key reference, this work brings together examples of words derived from Latin femina, domina, and a few kindred words in the regional and border dialects of France. Adams also considers the descriptive terms for woman and girl in the same territory.

A unique creole language spoken on the coastal islands and adjacent mainland of South Carolina and Georgia, Gullah existed as an isolated and largely ignored linguistic phenomenon until the publication of Lorenzo Dow Turner's landmark volume Africanisms in the Gullah Dialect. In his classic treatise, Turner, the first professionally trained African American linguist, focused on a people whose language had long been misunderstood, lifted a shroud that had obscured the true history of Gullah, and demonstrated that it drew important linguistic features directly from the languages of West Africa. Initially published in 1949, this groundbreaking work of Afrocentric scholarship opened American minds to a little-known culture while initiating a means for the Gullah people to reclaim and value their past. The book presents a reference point for today's discussions about ever-present language varieties, Ebonics, and education, offering important reminders about the subtleties and power of racial and cultural prejudice.

In their introduction to the volume, Katherine Wyly Mille and Michael B. Montgomery set the text in its sociolinguistic context, explore recent developments in the celebration of Gullah culture, and honor Turner with a recounting of his life and scholarly accomplishments.

With more than 7,000 up-to-date phrases, this dictionary covers situations from talking to a doctor to ordering a meal, and helps learners communicate personal feelings, and make small talk.

This volume provides an overview of all aspects of Hong Kong English in a style designed for undergraduates and general readers. As a former British colony, Hong Kong used English as the language of government, law and education in the early days of colonial rule. Since the Handover from British to Chinese rule in 1997, it is no longer used as the primary language of government. However, the status of English has survived the decline of colonial rule, as English has become an international language which is indispensable for a service-oriented economy such as present-day Hong Kong. Its use is still widespread in legal contexts, and English is the medium of instruction in at least a quarter of secondary schools.
Outwith the realm of education, English is important as a means of international communication in the fields of banking and finance, business, and in the tourism and hospitality industry. English is therefore integrated into Hong Kong life in various ways and this has resulted in a thriving and developing variety of English. This book describes English in Hong Kong as a linguistic phenomenon from the point of view of language structure, but also takes into account historical, socio-cultural and socio-political developments.

"Penny Dyer is an inspiration to work with" Helen Mirren "An indispensible aid for actors" Bill Nighy "Penny takes away the fear of an accent for the actor" David Morrissey "Accurate, specific and enabling, these CDs are as fundamental as the use of voice itself" Michael Attenborough "Invaluable for the modern actor" Michael Sheen "Penny Dyer on a CD. What more could I want" Kelly Reilly An essential tool for actors needing to develop an accent at a moments notice. Top voice coach, Penny Dyer, voice coach to Helen Mirren on The Queen and who has worked with Nicole Kidman, Reece Witherspoon and Cate Blanchett and Gwyneth Strong (Cassandra, Only Fools and Horses) present an hour long voice coaching session on CD. The audio contains examples of the accent from a locally born and bred person; a short history of the accent/dialect; a voice coaching lesson between an actor and Penny Dyer who will explain the phonetics, rhythm etc with numerous examples to listen to and then try; a short extract from a play. A small booklet will include some phonetic notes, transcripts of the accent examples, the play example, the background on the accent and an Introduction. An invaluable resource for every actor's library.

This volume unites nineteen papers on core topics in linguistics: phonetics and phonology, morphology, syntax, and phraseology of English, exploring both synchronic and diachronic aspects of the English language. The papers have been collected to honour D. J. Allerton, who has taken a keen interest in all of these fields throughout his professional life. He has just retired from his professorship at the university of Basel where he has been professor of English linguistics since 1980. The authors of the contributions are colleagues and former students, all of whom felt inspired by his way of doing linguistics. Topics covered range from the Great Vowel Shift to contemporary changes in World Englishes, and from theoretical questions on the sound system and word formation patterns of English to more applied topics in phraseology and the lexicon.

Used properly jargon can be effective, but used incorrectly it can damage communications, waste time and money, and harm public, patient and staff relations. This book will enable and encourage readers to use language that the intended audience will understand. It provides practical advice based on the author's experience of producing National Health Service documents and contains explanations of common NHS jargon, with alternatives. Plain speaking and writing techniques are included, and there are numerous examples from real NHS management communications. This is an invaluable book for Health Service managers, clinicians with management responsibilities and all those responsible for communicating information about healthcare.