Project Gutenberg 2016-09-12 Public domain in the USA. 1603 Jespersen, Otto 1860 1943 Espersen, Otto Language: Its Nature, Development and Origin Produced by Henry Flower and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) "Language: Its Nature, Development and Origin" by Otto Jespersen is a scientific publication written in the early 20th century. This work delves into the complexities of language, discussing its historical evolution and its fundamental nature as a human construct. Jespersen aims to provide insights into how languages develop over time and the role of individuals and societies in shaping their use. The opening of the book introduces the foundational concepts of linguistic science, emphasizing the importance of viewing language as a dynamic system that evolves rather than a static entity. Jespersen critiques metaphorical interpretations of language, asserting it is a function of human social activity rather than a living organism. He outlines his approach to studying language development, including insights into how a child learns their mother tongue and the influence of foreign languages and individuals on the evolution of speech. Jespersen highlights historical perspectives and previous linguists' contributions, setting the stage for a thorough exploration of the historical and biological dimensions of language development. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 53.1 (10th to 12th grade). Somewhat difficult to read. en Language and languages P Text Category: Language & Communication 1413181 2025-08-21T08:00:00.671571 text/html 1418043 2024-10-23T01:07:02 text/html 655282 2025-08-21T08:00:20.375466 application/epub+zip 658511 2025-08-21T08:00:03.887556 application/epub+zip 633220 2025-08-21T08:00:02.279571 application/epub+zip 1083502 2025-08-21T08:00:32.052417 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 918381 2025-08-21T08:00:18.320520 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 893597 2022-09-24T04:50:56.157196 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 1212439 2025-08-21T07:59:57.696607 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 1192483 2024-10-23T01:07:02 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 15913 2025-08-21T08:00:32.210385 application/rdf+xml 14135 2025-08-21T08:00:02.516525 image/jpeg 2367 2025-08-21T08:00:02.408521 image/jpeg 576202 2025-08-21T08:00:00.799563 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia