This introduction to the history of English includes chapters on language change, the Indo-European background of English, and on Old English, Middle English, Early Modern English and Late Modern English. It offers information about the socio-historical background, the core areas of linguistic structure, discourse, speech acts and genres.

Thomas Kohnen is Professor of English historical linguistics at the University of Cologne. His major fields of study include historical pragmatics and historical text linguistics, corpus linguistics, historical syntax, speech act theory as well as orality and literacy and the language of religion.

Contents: Language change and language history – The Indo-European background of English – The periods of English (Old English, Middle English, Early Modern English and Late Modern English) – Perspectives on present-day English – Socio-historical background – Linguistic structure – Discourse – Speech acts and genres.