Time-Bound Words argues that changes in English society and the English language are woven together, often in surprising ways, and investigates this claim by following eleven words from Chaucer's time to Shakespeare's. Middle English words like corage, estat, thrift , and virtù come to serve the logic of new social discourses by 1611. Language from Chaucer, Wyclif, More, Spenser, Shakespeare, Jonson and others is examined both as current and emerging usage, and as verbal play that accomplishes cultural work.

Autorentext

Peggy A. Knapp is Professor of English at Carnegie Mellon University.

Inhalt

Introduction: Philology in A New Key Corage/Courage Estat/Estate Fre/Free Gloss Kynde/Kind Lewed/Lewd Providence Queynte/Quaint Sely/Silly Thrift Virtù/Virtue After Words References Cited Index