Languages and Communities in Early Modern Europe
By Peter Burke
2004
First Published
3.83
Average Rating
226
Number of Pages
"In this magisterial new study, Peter Burke explores the social and cultural history of the languages spoken or written in Europe between the invention of printing and the French Revolution, arguing that, from a linguistic point of view, 1450 to 1789 should be regarded as a distinct period." One major theme of the book is the relation between languages and communities (regions, churches, occupations and genders, as well as nations) and the place of language as a way of identifying others, as well as a symbol of one's own identity. A second, linked theme is that of competition: between Latin and the vernaculars, between different vernaculars, dominant and subordinate, and finally between different varieties of the same vernacular, such as standard languages and dialects.
Avg Rating
3.83
Number of Ratings
42
5 STARS
19%
4 STARS
50%
3 STARS
26%
2 STARS
5%
1 STARS
0%
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Author
Peter Burke
Author · 26 books
Peter Burke is a British historian and professor. He was educated by the Jesuits and at St John's College, Oxford, and was a doctoral candidate at St Antony's College. From 1962 to 1979, he was part of the School of European Studies at Sussex University, before moving to the University of Cambridge, where he holds the title of Professor Emeritus of Cultural History and Fellow of Emmanuel College. Burke is celebrated as a historian not only of the early modern era, but one who emphasizes the relevance of social and cultural history to modern issues. He is married to Brazilian historian Maria Lúcia Garcia Pallares-Burke.
