English has undeniably become the world's dominant language, while many languages fade away each decade. This exploration delves into the remarkable evolution of English and its diverse global vernaculars. For instance, a new Japanese term for visiting Tokyo's Disneyland amusingly translates to "flogging the mouse." Words now traverse languages at a rapid pace, akin to cut-and-paste speed. Mark Abley predicts that by 2015, half of the global population will be engaged in learning or speaking English. He examines how English is spreading worldwide, absorbing words from various sources like a vacuum cleaner. Whether used as a first language in London or a third in Singapore, speakers are influenced by the language's rapid transformations. The author investigates the impact of hip-hop lyrics, text messages, and blogs, as well as the effects of global and Asian English and Spanglish. This journey around the linguistic globe is stimulating, provocative, and intelligent, celebrating the vitality and creativity inherent in languages. Evocative and engaging, this work appeals to anyone who values the words we use.
Mark Abley Poradie kníh (chronologicky)
Mark Abley je autor, ktorý sa ponoril do fascinujúceho sveta jazykov a ich premien. Jeho dielo skúma, ako sa hovorený a písaný jazyk vyvíja v dnešnej dobe, od hip-hopu po Singliš, od textových správ po Spangliš. Ableyho písanie sa vyznačuje schopnosťou odhaliť neuveriteľné zmeny v jazyku a zároveň inšpirovať čitateľov k boju za ich vlastný jazyk a kultúru. Jeho prístup je prístupný a pútavý, čo z neho robí pozoruhodný literárny hlas.
Half the world's languages are threatened with extinction over the next century, as English and the rest of the world's top twenty languages drive all before them.