The Linguistic Atlas of England

Book excerpt: This fascinating record of how English is spoken in England is now being reprinted. Over 400 maps detail differences in phonology, lexicon, morphology and syntax. The Atlas provides a unique survey of the linguistic geography of England. This volume was inspired by the English Dialect Survey which set out to elicit information about the current dialectical usages of the older members of the farming communities throughout rural England. The Survey secondly mapped this information to illustrate the regional distributions of those features of their speech which persisted from ancient times. Published after Orton's death, the publication of this volume testified to the sustained interest in the lingusitic geography of England.