Forgotten English: Words That Didn't Stand the Test of Time

The English language has great diversity, perhaps nowhere as strong and colourful as across the spread of North America, the largest geographic landmass of English-speaking predominance in the world. Like any living language, the 'standard' is not always the one used in everyday speech and communication. The written language itself has differing standards, all at variance in one form or another from the spoken word. Because of this, much of the language gets lost over time. One of the things that makes novelists like Mark Twain memorable is that they captured elements of the informal language, the spoken language, in their text pages - something fairly rarely done, but something that can resonate with the readers. Jeffrey Kacirk states in his introduction that it is this lost and vanishing element of the language that he concentrates upon for this book - not a surprise, really, given that the title of this book is 'Forgotten English'. Part of Kacirk's interest came from his upbringing, in which he lived in several different regions of the country, each geographically and linguistically distinct. Kacirk's introduction traces the development of the language in certain ways, including the fact that what are often considered 'Americanisms' often originated in the British Isles, falling out of use there but thriving in North America. With the advent of modern media (talking motion pictures, radio and television), the re-introduction of American speech patterns as both commonplace and acceptable has occurred, with occasional bumps. The phrases Kacirk has accumulated here include pieces that contain the flavour of life in North America. 'Often containing an abundance of metaphor, simile, and common sense, these distillations of practical experience are easily bandied about by those whose education has not displaced their native intelligence.' These have a tendency to be blended over time into the mainstream, if they survive at all, particularly in an ever more homogeneous media environment. However, language as a living entity continues to grow in wild patches here and there, and Kacirk's collection helps to show some of the more interesting patches in the garden of the English language. This book is one of several Kacirk has written (another good one is 'Informal English'), all of which illustrate the diversity and vitality of the English language.

Not one to read in large portions, thisunique book is absolutely recommended to anyonewho loves the English language.Mr. Kacirk has done a wonderful serviceto Anglophiles and 's virtuesare many. He takes each word separately; givesa brief historical description; adds a few excerptsfrom where the word was used; and polishes it offwith a lovely line illustration (printed in green ink whichmakes for a perfect contrast to the black ink ofthe text) to give a visual referent to sharpen thereader's focus. I've seen other books similarto this ( is an example) butthey usually give you long lists or unnecessaryvariations and such, that frankly are tiresometo read. Not so with , which hasbeen delivered with perfection. Anotherstrong point about Kacirk is thathe is a humble man who doesn'ttry to wow you with clever anecdotes and provocativestatements, a tendency which mars the workof Bill Bryson, in his book.This one is superbly laid out, and a joy tothumb through (but do it slowly -- quality before quantity)and should provide no end of joy and satisfaction.

Received my copy yesterday and am very impressed with the uncommon wealth of ancestral language! After only 30 minutes of reading I purchased a 2nd copy for a family member --didn't want to keep this treasure a secret! Entertaining and educational. Highly recommended!!!

"Forgotten English" is a delightful look at archaic words, expressions, and the societies that spawned them. The author does not simply define terms, but explains how they arose and what societal customs or beliefs they reflect. If you enjoy this book, you might also like the "Forgotten English" desk calendar.

Forgotten English is a great asset to the mind and library of any well-read english student, teacher, or any to whom words, language, literature and history are of interest. It gives incredible insight to many works of literature, such as Shakespeare, popular classics and many more obscure texts. The author, Mr. Kacirk, uses a wealth of information from a world of resources. Every entry to this not-quite-dictionary-style, indexed book is very informative, as well as thoughtful and interesting. Overall, Forgotten English provides a great read. You will find yourself returning to this book many times in the years to come. Mr. Kacirk, this book is an honorable acheivement!