A Handbook of the English Language

"A Handbook of the English Language" by R. G. Latham is a scholarly exploration of the English language’s development. This handbook looks at the history and ethnic origins of English, along with its different dialects and how it changed through the years. Focusing on the Germanic beginnings of English and how it mixed with Celtic and older languages, the book goes back to when Germanic tribes moved to Britain. Latham points out that English didn’t start in Britain but in Europe with Germanic languages, explaining how tribes like the Jutes, Saxons, and Angles played a big part in forming English. It even talks about how hard it is to check old records, pushing readers to really think about where languages come from and how different dialects came together to make English what it is today.