Bringing together a range of perspectives on the Gaelic language, this book covers the history of the language, its development in Scotland and Canada, its spelling, syntax and morphology, its modern vocabulary, and the study of its dialects.

Bringing together a range of perspectives on the Gaelic language, this book covers the history of the language, its development in Scotland and Canada, its spelling, syntax and morphology, its modern vocabulary, and the study of its dialects. It also addresses sociolinguistic issues such as identity, perception, language planning and the appearance of the language in literature. Each chapter is written by an expert on their topic.The book has been written accessibly with a non-specialist audience in mind. It will have a particular value for those requiring introductions to aspects of the Gaelic language. It will also be of great interest to those who are embarking on research on Gaelic for the first time. Authors include Colm O Baoill, David Adger, Rob Dunbar, Seosamh Watson, Ken Nilsen, Ken MacKinnon and Ronald Black.

This is a comprehensive introduction to the study of older and present-day Scots language.

The first book to provide a thorough introduction to Gaelic fiction. It traces the evolution of the form over the last century and focuses on the major developments that have led to the recent flourishing in Gaelic fiction publishing.

Scottish Gaelic: A Comprehensive Grammar is a definitive description of contemporary Gaelic. The volume presents an authoritative account of modern Gaelic grammar, attending to both idealised usages – as typically taught in formal education – and more colloquial forms. Core chapters include useful observations about dialectal and register differences, such as variations in inflection, pronunciation and word forms. The book also demystifies nuances of the language that many users find opaque, according to recent research. In each chapter, the most important, basic information is presented first (e.g. standard verb conjugations), followed by increasingly detailed information for more advanced users. This way, the book addresses the diverse needs of its intended audience. Brimming with authentic examples, the volume accommodates readers of all levels, from complete beginners to professional linguists. It is both an ideal textbook for structured coursework and an indispensable companion for independent study.

The chapters in this volume take as their focus aspects of three of the languages of Scotland: Scots, Scottish English, and Scottish Gaelic. They present linguistic research which has been made possible by new and developing corpora of these languages: this encompasses work on lexis and lexicogrammar, semantics, pragmatics, orthography, and punctuation. Throughout the volume, the findings of analysis are accompanied by discussion of the methodologies adopted, including issues of corpus design and representativeness, search possibilities, and the complementarity and interoperability of linguistic resources. Together, the chapters present the forefront of the research which is currently being directed towards the linguistics of the languages of Scotland, and point to an exciting future for research driven by ever more refined corpora and related language resources.

Sociolinguistics in Scotland presents a comprehensive overview of sociolinguistic research in Scotland and showcases developments in sociolinguistic theory, method and application, highlighting Scotland's position as a valuable 'sociolinguistic laboratory'. This book is a key resource for those interested in language use in Scotland.

By combining historical spread with a thematic structure, this volume explores the ways in which gender has shaped literary output and addresses the changing situations in which Scottish women lived and wrote.

A concise, original overview of the History of English, focusing on its early development and subsequent spread around the world.

Great Britain is changing, and so is Europe. The aim of this book, therefore, is to reflect upon the processes of (re)creation of art and literature within and against the backdrop of the shifting paradigms of the world as we know it. At a time when the political relations between Great Britain, Europe and the rest of the world are being redefined, this book examines the (de)construction of modern identities through the (de)codification of classical and contemporary mythologies.