After learning about how saying “I” instead of “one” and some similar things used to be considered vulgar, and also recently learning about how thou versus you was used in Shakespeare, I want to learn more about this kind of thing and what similar expectations about language there have been in different periods of history. I would love to read a book about the history of what grammar was considered appropriate, upper versus lower class, etc over time and how that has changed over time and what it reflects. Any recommendations?
by aseaaranion
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It’s not exactly what you’re looking for, but Kingdom of Characters by Jing Tsu is a fascinating linguistic book that covers the modernization of the Chinese language and why it was essential to the rise of current day China.