Questions at Issue in Our English Speech by Edwin W. Bowen

"Questions at Issue in Our English Speech" by Edwin W. Bowen is a collection of essays written in the early 20th century. The book discusses various aspects of the English language, focusing on topics such as spelling, pronunciation, and the evolution of language over time. It appears to be aimed at those interested in linguistics or the intricacies of English speech and vocabulary. The beginning of the book introduces the idea that written language is an imperfect representation of spoken language, which is always evolving. Bowen explains how English orthography has remained largely unchanged since the advent of printing, despite the considerable transformations in spoken English. He discusses the inconsistencies in spelling, the impact of the printing press on standardization, and how various dialects and social factors influence pronunciation. This opening portion sets the stage for a deeper exploration of language issues and highlights the dynamic nature of English speech across different time periods. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Download for free

For your e-reader or reading app — Kindle, Kobo, Apple Books, Calibre etc.

Other formats & older devices

About this eBook

Author Bowen, Edwin W. (Edwin Winfield), 1866-1953
LoC No. 09007028
Title Questions at Issue in Our English Speech
Original Publication United States: Broadway Publishing Company,1909.
Contents Our English spelling of yesterday. Why antiquated -- A question of preference in English spelling -- Authority in English pronunciation -- Vulgarisms with a pedigree -- Briticisms versus Americanisms -- What is slang? -- Standard English. How it arose and how it is maintained.
Credits Tim Lindell and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.)
Reading Level Reading ease score: 54.0 (10th to 12th grade). Somewhat difficult to read.
Language English
LoC Class PE: Language and Literatures: English
Subject English language -- Usage
Category Text
eBook-No. 67953
Release Date
Last Update Oct 18, 2024
Copyright Public domain in the USA.
Downloads 342 downloads in the last 30 days.

Project Gutenberg eBooks are always free!