by Gena K. GorellTundra Books
~ Review in Halifax Herald, November 2009
The English language is ever changing. It spite of those who would prefer that it remain constant and definable, it evolves and shifts, adapting to the current needs of a culture or a community. Most languages are influenced by others, and English itself is no exception, heavily influenced by Greek, Latin, French, Arabic and a myriad of other languages.
Say What? is packed with interesting facts. Did you know that more than seventy per cent of English words were born someplace other than England?” Or that, after the famous Battle of Hastings in 1066, French became the language of government in England? Foreign words, such as suffah (sofa), sukka (sugar), and ghul (ghoul), have found their way into our everyday speech, and anyone who has studied Latin knows that the meaning of words can often be ‘worried’ from their Latin derivative.
Gena Gorrell has given us a short history book that is interesting, the kind we all could have used when propping our heads up in history class. Written in language that is clear and concise, Say What? is a wealth of information, presented in chapters that read more like magazine articles than a dry history book. In spite of a little boundary blurring around Australia and New Zealand colloquialisms, Say What is a concise, well organized introduction to the history and evolution of the English language.
Gena Gorrell is an editor and an award winning author of non-fiction for young people. She lives in Toronto.
