The Prodigal Tongue by Mark Abley ~ Dispatches from the Future of English
Secondhand
Shipping
Standard courier shipping from R60
R60 Standard shipping applies to orders under R100, in most areas in South Africa. R30 Standard shipping applies to orders over R100. Some areas may attract a R30 surcharge. This will be calculated at checkout if applicable.
Check my rate
Check my rate
Free collection from
Napier, Napier
The seller allows collection for this item and will be in contact with the full collection address once the order is ready.
Ready for collection by Wednesday, 22 May.
Ready to ship in
The seller has indicated that they will usually have this item
ready to ship within 4 business days. Shipping time depends on your delivery address. The most
accurate delivery time will be calculated at checkout, but in
general, the following shipping times apply:
Standard Delivery
| Main centres: | 1-3 business days |
| Regional areas: | 3-4 business days |
| Remote areas: | 3-5 business days |
Get it now, pay later
Seller
Buyer Protection
Product details
Condition
Secondhand
Location
South Africa
Product code
S
Bob Shop ID
613092917
The Prodigal Tongue: Dispatches from the Future of English
by Mark Abley
Hard cover in good condition.
English has unarguably become the world's dominant language. And languages die out every decade. But what is the future of today's languages?
"The Prodigal Tongue" explores the wild, wacky, and sometimes baffling road the English language is taking in its astonishing evolution and reveals the extraordinary vernaculars of the world. For example, did you know that the newly-minted term in Japanese for visiting Tokyo's Disneyland translates as 'flogging the mouse?' Were you aware that words now move across languages not over decades but at a cut-and-paste speed?
Beginning with the eye-popping prediction that by 2015, half of the world's population will be busy learning English or speaking it, Mark Abley turns his eagle eye on how English is roaming wild around the world, sucking in words, vacuum-cleaner style, from wherever it can get them. Whether you're speaking it as a first language in London, or a third in Singapore, you are by necessity affected by English's breakbeat rate of change.
From hip-hop lyrics to text messages and blogs, from the effects of global and Asian English to Spanglish, the author investigates what the future is likely to hold for the ways in which we communicate.
The result is an irresistible journey around the linguistic globe, stimulating, provocative and intelligent, and constantly open to the vitality and playful invention that make languages what they are. Evocative and thoughtful, yet always lively, this is a book for anyone who cherishes the words we use.
Follow the link below to view our other listings: