The Secret History of Language

Name: The Secret History of Language
Price: 43.95 AUD
Availability: PreOrder
ISBN: 9781009757997

Language Change Unraveled

Lyle Campbell (University of Hawai'i, Manoa)

$43.95

Paperback

Forthcoming
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English

Cambridge University Press
31 July 2026

Language: history & general works; linguistics; Historical & comparative linguistics

What are the causes of language change? Where do words come from? Is modern technology and social media corrupting our language? Language change is just as relevant today as it ever was, yet the secrets of how and why it occurs remain tantalisingly out of reach to anyone without a background in linguistics. This book has the answers. Written by one of the leading experts in the field, it provides readers with an accessible account of language change, unraveling the processes and phenomena that have so far remained locked within academia. It explores a range of fascinating topics, such as whether language change is bad, whether change is different in some kinds of languages than others, and if television, AI, and modern technology have any impact on language change. Written in a lively and engaging way, it uncovers the marvels and mysteries of language change for anyone curious about this captivating field.

By: Lyle Campbell (University of Hawai'i Manoa)
Imprint: Cambridge University Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Weight: 250g
ISBN: 9781009757997
ISBN 10: 1009757997
Pages: 240
Publication Date: 31 July 2026
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Lyle Campbell is Professor Emeritus at the University of Hawai'i Mānoa. His research specializations include historical linguistics, language documentation, America's Indian languages, and typology. He has been awarded the LSA's Leonard Bloomfield Book Award twice, for American Indian Languages (Oxford University Press, 2000) and Historical Syntax in Cross-linguistics Perspective (with Harris, Cambridge University Press, 1995).