Watts Richard, Trudgill Peter (Editors). Alternative Histories of the English Language

London; New York: Routledge. 2002. — 288 p. — ISBN: 0415233569, 0415233577.
Includes index.This groundbreaking book deviates from the standard or "textbook" way of looking at the history of the English language. Emphasis is placed on a linguistic description of English in a much broader sense. A range of international contributors provide accounts of the histories of non-standard, non-British and non-American varieties. By approaching and including non-formal styles and registers, and the pragmatic and communicative aspects of English, it opens the door to unbiased consideration of such topics as South African Indian English, Southern Hemisphere Englishes, and Early Modern English women's writing.The legitimate language: giving a history to English
The history of the lesser-known varieties of English
‘North of Watford gap’: a cultural history of Northern English (from 1700)
The history of southern hemisphere Englishes
‘Deformed in the dialects’: an alternative history of non-standard English
Building a new English dialect: South African Indian English and the history of Englishes
The story of good and bad English in the United States
From polite language to educated language: the re-emergence of an ideology
Eloquence and elegance: ideals of communicative competence in spoken English
Women’s writings as evidence for linguistic continuity and change in Early Modern English
Discourse markers in Early Modern English
Broadcasting the nonstandard message