English in Europe charts the English invasion of Europe since 1945. Distinguished European scholars report on the English words and phrases that have become integral parts of their languages. Each describes the effect of English on the host language, and shows how the process of incorporation often modifies pronunciation and spelling of English words and frequently transforms their meaning and use. The languages surveyed are Icelandic, Dutch, French, Spanish, Norwegian, German, Italian, Romanian, Polish, Croatian, Finnish, Albanian, Russian, Bulgarian, Hungarian, and Greek. The book is designed as a companion to A Dictionary of European Anglicisms but may be read as an independent work. This is the first systematic survey of a phenomenon that is fascinating, alarming, and apparently unstoppable.
Twenty-two scholars in sixteen European countries chart the English invasion of their national languages over the last five decades. They examine the particular groups of English words that have been adopted and the ways in which their meanings have been modified and in some cases transformed. They also consider the popular and political reactions over Europe to the influx of anglicisms.
