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The prodigal tongue : dispatches from the future of English

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  • "Abley takes the reader on a global journey like no other--from Singapore to Tokyo, from Oxford to Los Angeles, through the Internet and back in time. As much a travel book as a tour of words at play, The Prodigal Tongue goes beyond grammar and vocabulary to discover how language is irrevocably changing the people of the world in far-reaching ways. On his travels, Abley encounters bloggers, translators, novelists, therapists, dictionary makers, hip-hop performers, and Web-savvy teens. He talks to a married couple who corresponded passionately online before they met in "meatspace." And he listens to teenagers, puzzling out the words they coin in chat rooms and virtual worlds. Everywhere he goes, he asks what the future is likely to hold for the ways we communicate. Abley balances a traditional concern for honesty and accuracy in language with a less traditional delight in the sheer creative energy of new words and expressions.--From publisher description."
  • "The Prodigal Tongue takes a look at the wild, wacky and sometimes baffling road our language - English and others - is taking in its evolution. Where in the world will it end up? Mark Abley, author of Spoken Here, has created an entertaining and informative exploration of the way that languages - English, Japanese, French, Arabic and other major tongues - are likely to transform and be transformed by their speakers during the twenty-first century. Grammar and vocabulary are just the beginning; more importantly, this book is about people. In places like Los Angeles, Tokyo, Singapore and Oxford, Abley encounters hip-hop performers and dictionary makers, bloggers and translators, novelists and therapists. He talks to a married couple who were passionately corresponding online before they met in "meatspace." And he listens to teenagers, puzzling out the words they coin in chatrooms and virtual worlds. Everywhere he goes, he asks what the future is likely to hold for the ways we communicate. Abley balances a traditional concern for honesty and accuracy in language with an untraditional delight in newly minted expressions. Lively, evocative, passionate and playful, this is a book for everyone who cherishes the words we use."
  • "The wild, wacky, and sometimes baffling road of the English language and its astonishing evolution is the subject of this evocative and thoughtful, yet always lively, book for anyone who cherishes the words they use."

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  • "Electronic books"@en
  • "History"

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  • "The prodigal tongue dispatches from the future of English"
  • "The prodigal tongue : dispatches from the future of English"@en
  • "The prodigal tongue : dispatches from the future of English"

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