This dictionary is a user-friendly guide to widely used terms in the English language. A reference book for English language students and teachers at all levels, both in the English speaking world and beyond, it covers such fascinating topics as the historical development of the language, it's full range of regional variations and contemporary English usage. From abbreviation to zero-article, via fricative and slang, the dictionary contains over 600 wide ranging and informative entries covering: the core areas of language description and analysis: phonetics and phonology, grammar, lexis, semantics, pragmatics and discourse; sociolinguistics, including entries on social and regional variation, stylistic variation, and language and gender; the history of the English language from Old English to the present-day; the main varieties of English spoken around the world, covering the British isles, the Caribbean, North America, Africa, Asia, and Australasia; and, stylistics, literary language and English usage. Packed with real examples of the way people use English in different contexts, "The Routledge Dictionary of English Language Studies" is an indispensable guide to the richness and variety of the English language for both students and the general reader.