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The Earliest English provides a student-friendly introduction to
Old English and the earliest periods of the history of the English
Language as it evolved before 1215. Using non-technical language,
the book covers basic terminology, the linguistic and cultural
backgrounds to the emergence and development of OE, and the OE
vocabulary that students studying this phase of the English
language need to know. In eight carefully structured units, the
authors show how the vocabulary of Old English contains many items
familiar to us today; how its characteristic poetic form is based
on a beautiful and intricate simplicity; how its patterns of word
building and inflectional structure are paralleled in several
present day languages and how and why the English language and its
literature continued to change so that by the mid-12th century the
English language looks more like the 'English' that we are familiar
with in the 21st century. Features of the book include: the
provision of accessible guides to some important 'problem topics'
of classical OE stimulating cross-linguistic comparisons, e.g. the
pronoun system of OE as compared with the pronoun system of present
day Dutch cleverly laid out translation exercises, with structural
help in the form of selective glossaries careful division into
eight units, designed for both classroom use and self-study Written
in a clear and accessible manner, The Earliest English provides a
comprehensive introduction to the evolution of Old English language
and literature, and will be an invaluable textbook for students of
English Language and Linguistics.
The Earliest English provides a student-friendly introduction to
Old English and the earliest periods of the history of the English
Language as it evolved before 1215. Using non-technical language,
the book covers basic terminology, the linguistic and cultural
backgrounds to the emergence and development of OE, and the OE
vocabulary that students studying this phase of the English
language need to know. In eight carefully structured units, the
authors show how the vocabulary of Old English contains many items
familiar to us today; how its characteristic poetic form is based
on a beautiful and intricate simplicity; how its patterns of word
building and inflectional structure are paralleled in several
present day languages and how and why the English language and its
literature continued to change so that by the mid-12th century the
English language looks more like the 'English' that we are familiar
with in the 21st century. Features of the book include: the
provision of accessible guides to some important 'problem topics'
of classical OE stimulating cross-linguistic comparisons, e.g. the
pronoun system of OE as compared with the pronoun system of present
day Dutch cleverly laid out translation exercises, with structural
help in the form of selective glossaries careful division into
eight units, designed for both classroom use and self-study Written
in a clear and accessible manner, The Earliest English provides a
comprehensive introduction to the evolution of Old English language
and literature, and will be an invaluable textbook for students of
English Language and Linguistics.
Chris McCully's Selected Poems includes work from 1993 to 2009, a
representative selection which reveals his engagement with the
precise crafts of language and poetic form. The book opens with the
prose-poem 'Dust' from his 2009 collection Polder, a meditation on
extinction: 'dust again the voices of the pages and the voices of
the lovers'. Other voices follow, conversations in which civility,
memories of friendship, art and literature respond to the
desolation of dust, asserting what imagination can create from it.
In translations from Old English, sonnets, villanelles and ballads,
McCully's supple, sparing verse celebrates the fragile place in
which we live, 'between space and space - / and both are dark'.
Chris McCully brings Old English poetry to life with exhilarating
immediacy. Here is the earliest surviving English poem, "Caedmon's
Hymn", as well as one of the last poems to be written in the
classical Old English alliterative style; some of the great elegies
and epics, and a generous selection from "Beowulf". Other
dimensions of Anglo-Saxon culture are represented in religious
meditations, riddles, charms and rhythmical prose, all translated
into metrical half-lines that capture the subtlety and pace of the
originals. The introduction explores the fascination this poetry
has held for Chris McCully over many years, as a poet and a
scholar. The translations are referenced to manuscripts and
critical editions, making them a valuable resource for students and
for all those keen to read more of the earliest English poetry. A
bibliography and reading list, with a note on Anglo-Saxon
manuscripts and material in libraries and on the Internet, complete
the book.
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Beowulf (Paperback)
Chris McCully
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R462
R430
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Any translation is a reading. Chris McCully reads Beowulf as an
epic written in English using all the complex metrical conventions
of its time, as well as distinctive epic tropes including
sea-crossings, oracular pronouncements and encounters with the
monstrous. This version renders the original in readable
contemporary English but also keeps as close as it can to the
older, alliterative metrical system, so that readers may experience
something of the textures and formal properties of the original. An
`Afterword’ explains the translator’s formal choices and
explores the nature of this epic, with its emphasis on tribe,
location and mortality. `McCully captures the special magic and
power of the Beowulf poet’s word-pile and life-thoughts.’
(Martin Duffell, Fellow of Queen Mary, University of London)
Is historical linguistics different in principle from other
linguistic research? This book addresses problems encountered in
gathering and analysing data from early English, including the
incomplete nature of the evidence and the dangers of
misinterpretation or over-interpretation. Even so, gaps in the data
can sometimes be filled. The volume brings together a team of
leading English historical linguists who have encountered such
issues first-hand, to discuss and suggest solutions to a range of
problems in the phonology, syntax, dialectology and onomastics of
older English. The topics extend widely over the history of
English, chronologically and linguistically, and include
Anglo-Saxon naming practices, the phonology of the alliterative
line, computational measurement of dialect similarity, dialect
levelling and enregisterment in late Modern English, stress-timing
in English phonology and the syntax of Old and early Modern
English. The book will be of particular interest to researchers and
students in English historical linguistics.
The Sound Structure of English provides a clear introduction to
English phonetics and phonology. Tailored to suit the needs of
individual, one-term course modules, it assumes no prior knowledge
of the subject, and presents the basic facts in a straightforward
manner, making it the ideal text for beginners. Students are guided
step-by-step through the main concepts and techniques of phonetic
and phonological analysis, aided by concise chapter summaries,
suggestions for further reading, and a comprehensive glossary of
all the terms introduced. Each chapter is accompanied by an
engaging set of exercises and discussion questions, encouraging
students to consolidate and develop their learning, and providing
essential self-study material. The book is accompanied by a
companion website, featuring solutions to the exercises and useful
additional resources. Providing the essential knowledge and skills
for those embarking on the study of English sounds, it is set to
become the leading introduction to the field.
The Sound Structure of English provides a clear introduction to
English phonetics and phonology. Tailored to suit the needs of
individual, one-term course modules, it assumes no prior knowledge
of the subject, and presents the basic facts in a straightforward
manner, making it the ideal text for beginners. Students are guided
step-by-step through the main concepts and techniques of phonetic
and phonological analysis, aided by concise chapter summaries,
suggestions for further reading, and a comprehensive glossary of
all the terms introduced. Each chapter is accompanied by an
engaging set of exercises and discussion questions, encouraging
students to consolidate and develop their learning, and providing
essential self-study material. The book is accompanied by a
companion website, featuring solutions to the exercises and useful
additional resources. Providing the essential knowledge and skills
for those embarking on the study of English sounds, it is set to
become the leading introduction to the field.
Written at the end of 1999, when Chris McCully was hospitalised and
treated for alcoholism for the third time, and during 2003, when he
left England to begin a new career as a writer in the Netherlands,
this is an honest, and at times painful, account of his ongoing
recovery. Alcoholism is a lifelong condition from which there is no
cure. Chris McCully does not offer warnings or exhortations, but
gives witness to the banal, terrifying and commonplace nature of
addiction, and to the slow process of recovery. Written from a
position of unusual self-awareness and understanding, this book is
an important and, hopeful, resource for mental health
professionals. A personal account of debilitating mental and
physical illness, this book should be read by all professionals
working in the mental health field, and by anyone with an interest
in alcoholism and recovery.
Is historical linguistics different in principle from other
linguistic research? This book addresses problems encountered in
gathering and analysing data from early English, including the
incomplete nature of the evidence and the dangers of
misinterpretation or over-interpretation. Even so, gaps in the data
can sometimes be filled. The volume brings together a team of
leading English historical linguists who have encountered such
issues first-hand, to discuss and suggest solutions to a range of
problems in the phonology, syntax, dialectology and onomastics of
older English. The topics extend widely over the history of
English, chronologically and linguistically, and include
Anglo-Saxon naming practices, the phonology of the alliterative
line, computational measurement of dialect similarity, dialect
levelling and enregisterment in late Modern English, stress-timing
in English phonology and the syntax of Old and early Modern
English. The book will be of particular interest to researchers and
students in English historical linguistics.
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