David Crystal Collection
Welcome to the resources page for the third edition of
The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language by David Crystal
Here you can access audio files, links, quizzes, diagrams, interviews and blog posts. This resource is perfect for students, teachers, researchers and everyone interested in the English Language.
Further Resources Directory
Access the full range of audio files, quizzes, diagrams, links and additional content not found in the book by clicking on the relevant chapter title.
Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 The Origins of English | Chapter 3 Old English | Chapter 4 Middle English | Chapter 5 Early Modern English |
Chapter 6 Modern English | Chapter 7 World English | Chapter 8 The Nature of the Lexicon | Chapter 9 The Sources of the Lexicon | Chapter 10 Etymology |
Chapter 11 The Structure of the Lexicon | Chapter 12 Lexical Dimensions | Chapter 13 Grammatical Mythology | Chapter 14 The Structure of Words | Chapter 15 Word Classes |
Chapter 16 The Structure of Sentences | Chapter 17 The Sound System | Chapter 18 The Writing System | Chapter 19 Varieties of Discourse | Chapter 20 Regional Variation |
Chapter 21 Social Variation | Chapter 22 Personal Variation | Chapter 23 Electronic Variation | Chapter 24 Learning English as a Mother Tongue | Chapter 25 New Ways of Studying English |
Example Audio Resources
Click on the audio files below to get a taste of how works such as Beowulf and Macbeth sounded when they were written, as well as examples of sound systems and regional variation.
Quiz Competition
With each chapter there is an accompanying quiz (click on the chapter title in the further resources directory) to measure your learning.
How many of these questions can you answer without looking at the new third edition? The first 5 correct answers emailed to vwillingale@cambridge.org will win a copy of the print book signed by David Crystal.
- 1. What form of the verb is shown by an -an or -ian ending?
- 2. In which year was English first used at the opening of Parliament?
- 3. What did Orm's principle of consonant doubling show?
- 4. Which area of language did Shakespeare most influence?
- 5. Which island was first occupied by English-speaking mutineers?
Example Diagrams
1. The Lexical Conquest Bayeux Tapestry Image, p135
2. The derivational field of a single word (from J. Tournier, 1985), p210
3. Graph charting the replacement of the traditional British spelling, Encyclopaedia, by the American Encyclopedia, p497
English Today Articles by David Crystal
- Article
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Crystallised English
- English Today, Volume 11, Issue 4
- Article
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Me — a purist?
- English Today, Volume 21, Issue 3
- Article
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Two thousand million?
- English Today, Volume 24, Issue 1
- Article
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The future of Englishes
- English Today, Volume 15, Issue 2
- Article
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What's in a name, Bob?
- English Today, Volume 9, Issue 4
- Article
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Why did he say it?
- English Today, Volume 5, Issue 1
Other titles by David Crystal
- Book
Language Death
- Book
Think on my Words