This book provides an accessible introduction to anyone interested in the history of the English language. It outlines the major issues and terminology used in the field of Historical Linguistics, a required part of most university-level language and linguistics courses, and creates an opening into the field for the new reader.
1. Language change as a matter of fact
2. Reconstructing the past: data and evidence
3. Vocabulary change
4. Grammatical change
5. Sound change
6. Language contact
7. How and why do languages change?
8. Postscript: further developments