The Last Lingua Franca: The Rise and Fall of World Languages
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A startling new thesis that predicts the end of English as a global language
In the twenty-first century, can we really take the dominance of English for granted?
In their time, Greek, Latin, Arabic, Sanskrit and Persian have each been world languages, sweeping the globe for centuries at a time. And yet they have all been displaced, just as Nicholas Ostler predicts English will be. What forces drive these linguistic currents? What characteristics do lingua francas share? And most importantly, how do they lose their power?
In this revelatory and exhilarating tour de force, Ostler explores the rise of a linguistic diversity that we could never before have imagined.
Author: Nicholas Ostler
Format: Paperback, 352 pages, 129mm x 198mm, 260 g
Published: 2011, Penguin Books Ltd, United Kingdom
Genre: Linguistics
Description
A startling new thesis that predicts the end of English as a global language
In the twenty-first century, can we really take the dominance of English for granted?
In their time, Greek, Latin, Arabic, Sanskrit and Persian have each been world languages, sweeping the globe for centuries at a time. And yet they have all been displaced, just as Nicholas Ostler predicts English will be. What forces drive these linguistic currents? What characteristics do lingua francas share? And most importantly, how do they lose their power?
In this revelatory and exhilarating tour de force, Ostler explores the rise of a linguistic diversity that we could never before have imagined.
The Last Lingua Franca: The Rise and Fall of World Languages