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The Prodigal Tongue: Dispatches from the Future of English
by Abley, Mark
- Used
- Fine
- Hardcover
- first
- Condition
- Fine
- ISBN 10
- 0434013900
- ISBN 13
- 9780434013906
- Seller
-
Decatur, Georgia, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
London: Heinemann, 2008 1st ed. 262pp. hardback 8vo: Fine in a near Fine dj [dj = small roughed spot on back cover; else nrF] A sort of linguistic travel book by a winner of Canada’s National Newspaper Award.
Synopsis
An exhilarating exploration of how the world's languages are likely to transform and be transformed by their speakers Mark Abley, author of Spoken Here, 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. Provocative, perceptive, and often hilarious, this is a book for everyone who cherishes the words we use.
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Details
- Bookseller
- Auldfarran Books, IOBA
(US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 21576
- Title
- The Prodigal Tongue: Dispatches from the Future of English
- Author
- Abley, Mark
- Format/Binding
- Hardcover
- Book Condition
- Used - Fine
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Edition
- 2008 1st ed.
- ISBN 10
- 0434013900
- ISBN 13
- 9780434013906
- Publisher
- London: Heinemann
- This edition first published
- 2008
- Keywords
- ENGLISH LANGUAGE LINGUISTICS WORLD TRAVEL
- Bookseller catalogs
- World Travel;
Terms of Sale
Auldfarran Books, IOBA
We accept all the usual credit cards via the Biblio site and will hold books for customers' checks or money orders in U.S. funds. Shipping via 4th class mail in the USA is usually only $4.89, depending on the weight of the package. Fast priority mail (often 2-3 days) is at least $15 depending on weight. Any other service, including all international shipments and invoiced library purchase orders, is priced at packing & postage cost. We will invoice libraries providing purchase orders. We must charge Georgia residents 8 percent state sales tax on all subtotals (including shipping). Customer satisfaction with their books is always guaranteed. Returns are accepted with advance notification. For overseas customers we ship only via the Biblio Export program which requires surface mail to the American export center. Books will be shipped via air from there. Do not request expedited shipping for this program.
About the Seller
Auldfarran Books, IOBA
Biblio member since 2005
Decatur, Georgia
About Auldfarran Books, IOBA
"I have spent many delightful hours poring over the . . . lists of second-hand booksellers. . . . All these are redolent of romance. They are much more entertaining than half the novels that are written." -W. Somerset Maugham. Auldfarran Books, whose name is taken from an antique Anglo-Scots word meaning "having the sagacity of age," or "wise beyond one's years," is a professional antiquarian and secondhand bookseller (since 1993), and member of the International Association of Online Booksellers, dedicated to the ancient proposition that reading is good for you and, to that end, the enhancement of readers' and collectors' libraries (and even the development of libraries' libraries). Whether you're a voracious, moderate or casual reader, or even if you believe (in the words of Anthony Burgess) "there's no better reason for not reading a book than owning it," we encourage your inquiries and special search requests. E-mail is the best way to get in touch with us.
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- Fine
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