History of Language (68 books)

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1	The Power of Babel: A Natural History of Language ― A Witty Linguistics Book on How Thousands of Tongues Evolved from One Source by John McWhorter 3.99 avg rating — 3,350 ratings score: 397, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
2	What the F: What Swearing Reveals About Our Language, Our Brains, and Ourselves by Benjamin K. Bergen 3.75 avg rating — 1,804 ratings score: 394, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
2	Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language by Gretchen McCulloch (Goodreads Author) 4.04 avg rating — 12,919 ratings score: 394, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
4	Lingo: A Language Spotter's Guide to Europe by Gaston Dorren (Goodreads Author) 3.91 avg rating — 4,840 ratings score: 393, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
5	The Etymologicon: A Circular Stroll through the Hidden Connections of the English Language by Mark Forsyth (Goodreads Author) 4.23 avg rating — 13,046 ratings score: 390, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
5	Words on the Move: Why English Won't—and Can't—Sit Still by John McWhorter 4.13 avg rating — 1,995 ratings score: 390, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
7	In the Land of Invented Languages: Adventures in Linguistic Creativity, Madness, and Genius by Arika Okrent 4.10 avg rating — 3,017 ratings score: 386, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
8	Word by Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries by Kory Stamper (Goodreads Author) 4.18 avg rating — 9,602 ratings score: 385, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
9	The Horse, the Wheel, and Language: How Bronze-Age Riders from the Eurasian Steppes Shaped the Modern World by David W. Anthony really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 4,242 ratings score: 380, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
10	Holy Sh*t: A Brief History of Swearing by Melissa Mohr (Goodreads Author) 3.87 avg rating — 2,358 ratings score: 295, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
11	The Language Instinct: How the Mind Creates Language by Steven Pinker (Goodreads Author) 4.01 avg rating — 22,811 ratings score: 294, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
11	Through the Language Glass: Why the World Looks Different in Other Languages by Guy Deutscher 3.91 avg rating — 7,736 ratings score: 294, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
13	The Unfolding of Language: An Evolutionary Tour of Mankind's Greatest Invention by Guy Deutscher 4.22 avg rating — 4,194 ratings score: 293, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
14	Swearing Is Good for You: The Amazing Science of Bad Language by Emma Byrne (Goodreads Author) 3.48 avg rating — 2,093 ratings score: 291, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
15	The Mother Tongue: English and How It Got That Way by Bill Bryson 3.91 avg rating — 45,188 ratings score: 200, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
16	Fluent Forever: How to Learn Any Language Fast and Never Forget It by Gabriel Wyner 4.08 avg rating — 13,907 ratings score: 199, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
16	Lost in Translation: An Illustrated Compendium of Untranslatable Words from Around the World by Ella Frances Sanders (Goodreads Author) 4.23 avg rating — 4,151 ratings score: 199, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
16	Vulgar Tongues: An Alternative History of Slang by Max Décharné 3.11 avg rating — 144 ratings score: 199, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
19	Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue: The Untold History of English by John McWhorter 3.83 avg rating — 7,297 ratings score: 198, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
20	How Language Began: The Story of Humanity's Greatest Invention by Daniel L. Everett 3.46 avg rating — 1,064 ratings score: 195, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
21	Empires of the Word: A Language History of the World by Nicholas Ostler 4.06 avg rating — 3,151 ratings score: 191, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
22	The Horologicon: A Day's Jaunt Through the Lost Words of the English Language by Mark Forsyth (Goodreads Author) 3.95 avg rating — 2,597 ratings score: 189, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
23	Let's Bring Back: The Lost Language Edition: A Collection of Forgotten-Yet-Delightful Words, Phrases, Praises, Insults, Idioms, and Literary Flourishes from Eras Past by Lesley M.M. Blume 3.61 avg rating — 275 ratings score: 186, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
23	The Information: A History, a Theory, a Flood by James Gleick (Goodreads Author) 4.04 avg rating — 17,541 ratings score: 186, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
25	The Vulgar Tongue: Green's History of Slang by Jonathon Green 3.62 avg rating — 32 ratings score: 174, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
26	Divided by a Common Language: A Guide to British and American English by Christopher Davies 3.67 avg rating — 155 ratings score: 162, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
27	A Certain Je Ne Sais Quoi: Words We Pinched From Other Languages by Chloe Rhodes 3.60 avg rating — 258 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
27	What Is Lojban? by Nick Nicholas (Editor) 3.60 avg rating — 30 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
27	The Word Detective: Searching for the Meaning of It All at the Oxford English Dictionary by John Simpson 3.85 avg rating — 482 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
27	The Written World: The Power of Stories to Shape People, History, Civilization by Martin Puchner 3.93 avg rating — 2,009 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
27	The American Language by H.L. Mencken 4.12 avg rating — 554 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
27	The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary by Simon Winchester 3.84 avg rating — 125,066 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
27	Babel by R.F. Kuang (Goodreads Author) 4.12 avg rating — 555,773 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
34	A Little Book of Language by David Crystal 3.75 avg rating — 2,567 ratings score: 99, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
34	Is That a Fish in Your Ear?: Translation and the Meaning of Everything by David Bellos 3.78 avg rating — 2,845 ratings score: 99, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
34	How Language Began: Gesture and Speech in Human Evolution by David McNeill 4.40 avg rating — 5 ratings score: 99, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
37	The Adventure of English: The Biography of a Language by Melvyn Bragg 3.94 avg rating — 5,226 ratings score: 98, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
37	The Secret Life of Words: How English Became English by Henry Hitchings 3.70 avg rating — 551 ratings score: 98, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
39	Babel No More: The Search for the World's Most Extraordinary Language Learners by Michael Erard (Goodreads Author) 3.54 avg rating — 1,502 ratings score: 97, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
39	Passwords to Paradise: How Languages Have Re-invented World Religions by Nicholas Ostler 3.63 avg rating — 43 ratings score: 97, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
39	The Lexicographer's Dilemma: The Evolution of "Proper" English, from Shakespeare to South Park by Jack Lynch 4.04 avg rating — 682 ratings score: 97, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
42	The Stories of English by David Crystal 4.05 avg rating — 1,458 ratings score: 96, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
42	Bridge of Words: Esperanto and the Dream of a Universal Language by Esther Schor 3.67 avg rating — 197 ratings score: 96, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
42	Made in America: An Informal History of the English Language in the United States by Bill Bryson 3.92 avg rating — 16,412 ratings score: 96, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
45	How to Learn Any Language: Quickly, Easily, Inexpensively, Enjoyably and on Your Own by Barry Farber 3.81 avg rating — 874 ratings score: 95, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
45	Nim Chimpsky: The Chimp Who Would Be Human by Elizabeth Hess 3.80 avg rating — 783 ratings score: 95, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
47	Wordcatcher: An Odyssey into the World of Weird and Wonderful Words by Phil Cousineau (Goodreads Author) 3.56 avg rating — 186 ratings score: 94, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
47	Written in Stone: A Journey Through the Stone Age and the Origins of Modern Language by Christopher Stevens 3.23 avg rating — 200 ratings score: 94, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
47	Genie: A Scientific Tragedy by Russ Rymer 3.92 avg rating — 1,161 ratings score: 94, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
50	Words in Time and Place: Exploring Language Through the Historical Thesaurus of the Oxford English Dictionary by David Crystal 3.92 avg rating — 52 ratings score: 93, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
51	From Elvish to Klingon: Exploring Invented Languages by Michael Adams 3.68 avg rating — 184 ratings score: 92, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
51	The Emoji Code: The Linguistics Behind Smiley Faces and Scaredy Cats by Vyvyan Evans (Goodreads Author) 3.29 avg rating — 128 ratings score: 92, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
53	Expletive Deleted: A Good Look at Bad Language by Ruth Wajnryb 3.67 avg rating — 332 ratings score: 89, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
53	The Loom of Language: An Approach to the Mastery of Many Languages by Frederick Bodmer 4.16 avg rating — 407 ratings score: 89, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
55	The Illustrated Book of Sayings: Curious Expressions from Around the World by Ella Frances Sanders (Goodreads Author) 4.08 avg rating — 697 ratings score: 88, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
56	In Praise of Profanity by Michael Adams 3.28 avg rating — 104 ratings score: 87, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
57	Will's Words: How William Shakespeare Changed the Way You Talk by Jane Sutcliffe (Goodreads Author) 4.20 avg rating — 443 ratings score: 86, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
58	From Skedaddle to Selfie: Words of the Generations by Allan A. Metcalf 3.47 avg rating — 49 ratings score: 85, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
59	Sequoyah and His Talking Leaves: A Play about the Cherokee Syllabary by Wim Coleman (Goodreads Author) 3.52 avg rating — 23 ratings score: 84, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
60	Bad English: A History of Linguistic Aggravation by Ammon Shea 3.65 avg rating — 693 ratings score: 82, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
61	Spell It Out: The Curious, Enthralling and Extraordinary Story of English Spelling by David Crystal 3.95 avg rating — 923 ratings score: 81, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
62	Word Myths: Debunking Linguistic Urban Legends by David Wilton 3.46 avg rating — 347 ratings score: 79, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
63	Alphabetical Order by Tiphaine Samoyault 4.09 avg rating — 11 ratings score: 78, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
64	Righting the Mother Tongue: From Olde English to Email, the Tangled Story of English Spelling by David Wolman (Goodreads Author) 3.62 avg rating — 305 ratings score: 77, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
65	Do You Speak American? by Robert MacNeil 3.70 avg rating — 348 ratings score: 76, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
66	There's a Word for It: The Explosion of the American Language Since 1900 by Sol Steinmetz 3.66 avg rating — 32 ratings score: 75, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
67	Found in Translation: How Language Shapes Our Lives and Transforms the World by Nataly Kelly (Goodreads Author) 3.80 avg rating — 784 ratings score: 74, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
68	The Last Speakers: The Quest to Save the World's Most Endangered Languages by K. David Harrison 3.89 avg rating — 463 ratings score: 73, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars