Spellbound: The Surprising Origins and Astonishing Secrets of English Spelling

Spellbound: The Surprising Origins and Astonishing Secrets of English Spelling | James Essinger | Spellbound by Spellbound

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Spellbound: The Su...

	Spellbound: The Surprising Origins and Astonishing Secrets of English Spelling James Essinger Delta, 2007 - 336 pages average customer review:based on 10 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Welcome to the illogical, idiosyncratic, outrageous linguistic phenomenon known as the English language. The story of how this ragtag collection of words evolved is a winding tale replete with intriguing accidents and bizarre twists of fate. In this eye-opening, fabulously entertaining book, James Essinger unlocks the mysteries that have confounded linguists and scholars for millennia.

From the sophisticated writing systems of the ancient Sumerians through the tongue twisters of Middle English, the popular National Spelling Bee, and the mobile phone text-messaging of today, Spellbound chronicles the fascinating history of English spelling, including insights about the vast number of words English has borrowed from other languages (?orange,? ?vanilla,? and ?ketchup,? to name a few), and how their meanings differ from country to country. Featuring a lively cast of characters ranging from the fictional to the historically noteworthy (Chaucer, Samuel Johnson, Noah Webster, Shakespeare, Bill Gates), this affectionate tribute to English spelling shows why our whimsical, capricious common language continues to hold us spellbound.

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Great for book lovers and writers.

The strange spelling to be found in English always confounds people, especially those whose native tongue is not English. Well, this little book does much to explain the reasons why. As one who is an amateur etymologist, this book is very interesting and an intellectual feast.

Spellbound by Spellbound

Most people would find books on linguistics heavy going, especially if circumstances make the reading compulsory. But when the compulsion arises in the book itself, as it does in "Spellbound" by James Essinger, it is a different story. The fascinating subject matter alone of this book on the development of spelling in the English language is presented in a manner which fully engages one's attention, but the little asides (references to scrabble, spaghetti, tulips and wine) and the personal touches, such as his own spelling lapses, make the story all the more enjoyable.
Those with an interest in this subject will certainly be "spellbound" by Mr Essinger's book.

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