The Cambridge History of the English Language provides a full account of the history of English. Its authoritative coverage extends from areas of central linguistic interest and concern (phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, dialectology) to more specialised topics such as personal and place names, literary language and slang. The volumes dealing with earlier periods are chronologically based, whilst those dealing with more recent periods are geographically based, thus reflecting the spread of English over the last 300 years. Each volume is edited by a leading expert on the period in question, heading an international team of contributors, and contains a glossary of linguistic terms and and extensive bibliography and index. The History has been written with both specialists and students in mind and provides an essential reference resource for those interested in the development of English from its beginnings in Anglo-Saxon England to its present-day role as a multifaceted global language.