The Power of Babel
John McWhorterThe best popular account of language as a living, mutating thing.
Why It's Lindy
The best popular account of language as a living, mutating thing. McWhorter shows that there is no pure original language to preserve, only ceaseless change: sounds erode, grammar renews itself, dialects become languages, and contact reshapes everything. A strong gateway into historical linguistics.
About This Volume
A lively history of how languages change, split, simplify, borrow, drift, and multiply across time.
Frequently Asked
Why should I read The Power of Babel?
The best popular account of language as a living, mutating thing. McWhorter shows that there is no pure original language to preserve, only ceaseless change: sounds erode, grammar renews itself, dialects become languages, and contact reshapes everything. A strong gateway into historical linguistics.
What is The Power of Babel about?
A lively history of how languages change, split, simplify, borrow, drift, and multiply across time.
