The Prodigal Tongue

Following his unanimously acclaimed Spoken Here, Mark Abley travels the world investigating how languages all over the world are likely to transform and be transformed by their speakers during the twenty-first centuryMark Abley, author of Spoken Here, takes the reader on a world-wide trip like no other — from Singapore to Japan, Oxford to Los Angeles, through the web and even back in time. As much a travel book as a linguistic study, this book goes beyond grammar and vocabulary; more importantly, this book is about the people of the world.On his travels Abley encounters bloggers, translators, novelists, therapists, dictionary makers, hip-hop performers and web-savvy teenagers. He talks to a married couple who were passionately corresponding online before they met in 'meatspace.' And he listens to teenagers, puzzling out the words they coin in chat rooms and virtual worlds. Everywhere he goes, he asks what the future is likely to hold for the ways we communicate. Abley balances a traditional concern for honesty and accuracy in language with a less traditional delight in the creative energy of new words and expressions.Lively, evocative, passionate and hilarious, this is a book for everyone who cherishes the words we use.