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Biographical note: Alexander Bergs, University of Osnabrück, Germany; Laurel Brinton, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. Main description: The handbook of 'Historical Linguistics of English' offers in more than 130 articles in two volumes a comprehensive, interdisciplinary and theory neutral overview of all central aspects of the history of English. The first volume contains detailed descriptions of the individual linguistic levels, from phonology to syntax, semantics and pragmatics, for each period of the language, from Old English to Late Modern English. Moreover, the volume offers chapters on particular topics pertaining to individual periods such as the 'Great Vowel Shift', standardization, and do-periphrasis. The second volume takes on a broader perspective and addresses more theoretical concerns. It covers topics such as resources for studying and teaching the history of English, historiography, the history of the discipline itself, theoretical approaches to studying language variation and change, and the history of Englishes around the world. This makes them standard reference works for researchers as well as students in the fields of general, historical, and English linguistics , as well as allied fields such as history, literature, philosophy, and culture.
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