Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue

The Untold History of English

By: John McWhorter

Narrated by: John McWhorter

Length: 5 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

A survey of the quirks and quandaries of the English language, focusing on our strange and wonderful grammar. Why do we say "I am reading a catalog" instead of "I read a catalog"? Why do we say "do" at all? Is the way we speak a reflection of our cultural values? Delving into these provocative topics and more, Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue distills hundreds of years of fascinating lore into one lively history.

Covering such turning points as the little-known Celtic and Welsh influences on English, the impact of the Viking raids and the Norman Conquest, and the Germanic invasions that started it all during the fifth century A.D., John McWhorter narrates this colorful evolution with vigor.

Drawing on revolutionary genetic and linguistic research, as well as a cache of remarkable trivia about the origins of English words and syntax patterns, Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue ultimately demonstrates the arbitrary, maddening nature of English - and its ironic simplicity due to its role as a streamlined lingua franca during the early formation of Britain. This is the book that language aficionados worldwide have been waiting for. (And no, it's not a sin to end a sentence with a preposition.)

©2008 John McWhorter (P)2009 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"McWhorter's iconoclastic impulses and refreshing enthusiasm makes this worth a look for anyone with a love for the language." (Publishers Weekly)

"McWhorter’s energetic, brash delivery of his own spirited and iconoclastic text will appeal to everyone who appreciates the range and caliber of today’s audio production. In some ways, audio is superior to printed text in portraying tone, attitude, values, and in this case, a discussion whose theme is the sound and grammar of words." (AudioFile magazine)

The Sixth Sense of histories of the English lang.

Perhaps my title is hyperbole--maybe Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue is just the Usual Suspects of HEL texts....

I am endlessly fascinated with the history of our language, even though I've heard it scores of times (including in college and grad school courses). If it's a history of English, I will buy it, read it, check it out, listen to it, watch it, etc. McWhorter's text is easily in my top 5 HEL's of all time. His theory on the origins and uses of "do" are, to me, as exciting as the first time you get the twist in The Sixth Sense, and then the second time you watch the movie and see all the foreshadowing... McWhorter's ideas work that way for me. He presents his ideas in an excellent, engaging fashion, and now I can look back and see those ideas playing out in our beloved English.

The book is well-written, engaging, and accessible. I love it!

I would take this as a class

If you could sum up Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue in three words, what would they be?

more than expected

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The section on the vikings was especially interesting to me and the overall implications of English being changed by non native speakers.

Any additional comments?

The book feels very much like a college lecture. The author is passionate an convincing about his topic. At first I was worried that he wouldn't be able to pull some of the larger assumptions together, but I was able to suspend parts of my disbelief until he could more fully explain later on. He seems to have a ridiculous amount of knowledge. His Japanese pronunciation and cadence needs some practice though :p

Not your dry and dusty History of English textbook

I thoroughly enjoyed this discussion of the development of English grammar, going beyond your typical catalogue of word acquisition A very conversational and engaging delivery of the text (by the author himself), rendering a somewhat arcane subject more accessible.

Fascinating linguistic history

I found the work gripping; it's short, which meant that I wound up listening to the whole thing in one day. John McWhorter makes a compelling case for the influences of Celtic on English. He reads his own work, which on one hand means that he knows the words he's reading and gets the emphasis and pronunciation right, but he does make the rookie mistake of laughing at his own jokes, which is a bit off-putting. Fortunately, that's mostly at the beginning of the book.

Not for me

The author certainly knows his subject and delivers it well. However, I was not expecting an academic paper on what other linguists had gotten wrong. The second half, which delves more into the history of language, was much better. So, let’s just say, not for me.

Good book, but a little too academic

I had thoroughly enjoyed McWhorter’s Language Families of the World. In fact, I would say it’s in my top 5 nonfiction books ever, so I was excited to read this one. I found this one to be much more academic, and better suited to linguistics majors rather than casual readers like me. McWhorter himself is an outstanding narrator, and makes that material more enjoyable than it actually is.

Deep stuff

You can feel the Long chain of humanity stretched out in front of you with this one. Additionally, John McWhorter is a funny dude.

fascinating and educational

I found John's approach to the history of English refreshing and logical. Parts of the language I have wondered about were made clear. He worked to build careful arguments supportng his thesis and why he did not agree with other thesis, many of which I have heard before but bothered me. A good grasp of grammer is advised especially of the various cases and parts of speech. A passing familiarity of a non-English language is also helpful for comparison, though not needed as John provides many examples.

I enjoyed the book greatly.

An Excellent Journey

Dr. McWhorter brings his amazing insights to the history of English. He makes the history feel alive, and the linguistic concepts accessible. I haven't read a book of his that I didn't absolutely love.

Great book if linguistics is interesting to you

If you could sum up Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue in three words, what would they be?

one word: Interesting!

What did you like best about this story?

John McWhorter makes what could be a dull subject a fascinating listen. One of his central ideas must be controversial in the linguistics circles (the Celts influenced old English), but the way he takes pleasure in defending it with vigor (as well as the humor and liveliness of other topics) makes this one of the most enjoyable non-fiction books I've experienced.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

The author has a great way of finding humor and energy in what could easily be a very dry subject.