---
product_id: 37536262
title: "Words on the Move: Why English Won't - and Can't - Sit Still (Like, Literally) Hardcover – September 6, 2016"
brand: "john mcwhorter"
price: "KSh8891"
currency: KES
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 12
url: https://www.desertcart.co.ke/products/37536262-words-on-the-move-why-english-wont-and-cant-sit
store_origin: KE
region: Kenya
---

# Words on the Move: Why English Won't - and Can't - Sit Still (Like, Literally) Hardcover – September 6, 2016

**Brand:** john mcwhorter
**Price:** KSh8891
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** Words on the Move: Why English Won't - and Can't - Sit Still (Like, Literally) Hardcover – September 6, 2016 by john mcwhorter
- **How much does it cost?** KSh8891 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.co.ke](https://www.desertcart.co.ke/products/37536262-words-on-the-move-why-english-wont-and-cant-sit)

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- john mcwhorter enthusiasts

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## Description

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## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5.0 out of 5 stars







  
  
    Lively engaging review of how language is always evolving
  

*by J***6 on Reviewed in the United States on October 6, 2018*

This is a thoughtful book and perfect for someone who loves knowing more about language.  It was eye opening for me, because I always thought that language was set in stone.  The author has a terrific sense of humor, is a great writer, and has an ability to explain things in a way made this book hard for me to put down.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5.0 out of 5 stars







  
  
    Why and How Words Move!
  

*by K***T on Reviewed in the United States on September 12, 2016*

A new book about language by John McWhorter is always a treat. He has a knack for explaining things about language in ways that are clear, crisp, witty and interesting. Words on the Move takes aim at the idea that there is a 'correct' form of English, where words like "like" aren't used as fillers, where "LOL" doesn't happen, and where there are "correct' meanings (or pronunciations) of words at any given time. McWhorter is no "anything goes" relativist, but this book is devoted to arguing that language is ALWAYS in flux - both changing over time and place - and to expect it to "sit still" is asking language to behave in ways it just can't.Each chapter is devoted to exploring different ways that language changes. First, we talk about those little known pragmatic functions of language where a lot of change happens; words like "like" or "you know," are words that are less meant to convey an idea and more to add pragmatic and expressive color to sentences. Language needs those expressive words (or...emojis?) and words like that are not extraneous.Words also change their pronunciations, and this often has to do with very gradual changes in how people hear (and thus speak) certain words. The word "like" used to be pronounced "leek" and one can understand how the "hard e" could gradually change into a "soft e" which becomes a "hard i." (And have you ever noticed how the nursery rhyme Jack and Jill rhymes "daughter" with "after"? There's a reason; the spelling didn't change but the pronunciation did.)Words also change by combining and sometimes, after combining, dropping one of the syllables entirely. Again, the word "like" (pronounced "leek") used to be attached to adjectives like "slow" ("slow-leek" meaning "slow like"), until at some point, people heard it as "slowly" And more recently, "cellular phone" becomes "cell phone" which gets shortened further by dropping the word "phone" and just saying "cell."There are many more examples like this, each quite fascinating. But the moral of McWhorter's language story is that words, meanings, grammars, and pronunciations always change. Language is a sort of living thing that we collectively create and recreate. And if you think that your version of language is the "correct" one and that "that's not what ___ is supposed to mean," there is an excellent chance that you are using words and language in a way that the same would have been said about you by purists of the 1850's. The only reason we think the way we speak is the correct way is because that's the way we learned it.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.0 out of 5 stars







  
  
    McWhorter's an engaging writer
  

*by P***R on Reviewed in the United States on November 23, 2016*

This would appeal to anyone interested in words and the liveliness of casual conversation.  McWhorter is a fun intellectual guide.

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*Product available on Desertcart Kenya*
*Store origin: KE*
*Last updated: 2026-03-14*