The Language of the English Street Sign

Vivian Cook author

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Multilingual Matters

Published:21st Mar '22

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The Language of the English Street Sign cover

This book opens readers’ eyes to something they see all the time but take for granted: street signs. It is a portrait of the signs on modern English streets: what they look like, who and what they are for, how they link to English history and how they form part of life in multilingual England today.

This book opens readers’ eyes to something they see all the time but take for granted: street signs. It is a portrait of the signs on modern English streets: what they look like, who and what they are for, how they link to English history and how they form part of life in multilingual England today. It describes how their shapes, materials, letters, vocabulary, and grammar differ from other forms of written English, using a framework based on linguistics, typography and writing systems research. It provides readable and entertaining insights into an important use of written English, illustrated with over 400 examples of street signs. The book represents a starting point for the study of street signs as an academic area in its own right.

‘Fifth Avenue’ – what could be more tedious! Other than Manhattan and Kyoto where streets are just numbered, notable cities use street names. And they know why, as did Vivian Cook. Street signs are a treasure trove of linguistic, societal, historical, political and commercial knowledge. In this book he takes us on a multidisciplinary adventure trip to decode the wonders of written signs in public places. Trust the guide!

* Florian Coulmas, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany *
Vivian Cook has given us an excellent primer for the study of displayed writing. Based on a wealth of examples collected from two English cities, it will be a long-standing reference for novices and seasoned scholars of public signage in linguistics and other disciplines. * Adam Jaworski, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong *
In this fascinating book, Cook takes readers for a walk in two British towns to discover street sign research. With encyclopaedic knowledge, enthusiasm and his signature humour, Cook analyses a wealth of fascinating examples – from hand-scribbled notices to stone-engraved mottos – drawing from his quarter-of-a-century-long inquiry into written language, discussing linguistics, psychology, marketing, aesthetics, politics and more. Our mindless wanderings around town will never be the same again. * Bene Bassetti, University of Birmingham, UK *

The Language of the English Street Sign [...] is a comprehensive account of the signs on the streets of two English cities, Newcastle upon Tyne and Colchester, where Vivian spent most of his working life, including letters, numbers, characters, and symbols, handwritten, carved in stones, designed, printed, digitally displayed, etc. It delves into the history and functions of street signs, and opens up a range of avenues for innovative and interdisciplinary research.

-- Li Wei, Institute of Education, UCL, UK * Applied Linguistics, 2022 *

Cook’s survey is remarkably comprehensive; in years to come, anyone wanting to study the nature of street signage in England at this point in history will do well to consult this book. 

-- Geoffrey Sampson, University of Sussex, UK * LINGUIST List 33.22

ISBN: 9781800414563

Dimensions: 225mm x 170mm x 15mm

Weight: 488g

216 pages