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David Crystal
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Website : DavidCrystal.com

BIOGRAPHY

Writer and editor; Honorary Professor of Linguistics, Bangor University. Author of Language Death; Language Play; English as a Global Language; Making a Point; and many others.

Primary Contributions (4)
language
Language, a system of conventional spoken, manual (signed), or written symbols by means of which human beings, as members of a social group and participants in its culture, express themselves. The functions of language include communication, the expression of identity, play, imaginative expression,…
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Publications (4)
Making a Point: The Persnickety Story of English Punctuation
Making a Point: The Persnickety Story of English Punctuation (October 2015)
By David Crystal
The triumphant concluding volume in David Crystal's classic trilogy on the English language combines the first history of English punctuation with a complete guide on how to use it. Behind every punctuation mark lies a thousand stories. The punctuation of English, marked with occasional rationality, is founded on arbitrariness and littered with oddities. For a system of a few dozen marks it generates a disproportionate degree of uncertainty and passion, inspiring organizations like the Apostrophe...
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Language Death (Canto Classics)
Language Death (Canto Classics) (November 2014)
By David Crystal
The rapid endangerment and death of many minority languages across the world is a matter of widespread concern, not only among linguists and anthropologists but among all concerned with issues of cultural identity in an increasingly globalized culture. By some counts, only 600 of the 6,000 or so languages in the world are 'safe' from the threat of extinction. A leading commentator and popular writer on language issues, David Crystal asks the fundamental question, 'why is language death so important?',...
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Spell It Out: The Curious, Enthralling, and Extraordinary Story of English Spelling
Spell It Out: The Curious, Enthralling, and Extraordinary Story of English Spelling (December 2014)
By David Crystal
THE FASCINATING AND SURPRISING HISTORY OF ENGLISH SPELLING FROM DAVID CRYSTAL, EVERYONE'S FAVORITE EXPERT LOGOPHILE\nWith The Story of English in 100 Words, David Crystal took us on a tour through the history of our language. Now, with Spell It Out, he takes on the task of answering all the questions about how we spell: "Why is English spelling so difficult?" Or "Why are good spellers so proud of their achievement that when they see a misspelling they condemn the writer as...
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English as a Global Language - Second Edition
English as a Global Language - Second Edition (May 2012)
By David Crystal
David Crystal's classic English as a Global Language considers the history, present status and future of the English language, focusing on its role as the leading international language. English has been deemed the most 'successful' language ever, with 1500 million speakers internationally, presenting a difficult task to those who wish to investigate it in its entirety. However, Crystal explores the subject in a measured but engaging way, always backing up observations with facts and figures....
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