Crystal, David 1941–

PERSONAL:

Born July 6, 1941, in Lisburn, County Antrim, Northern Ireland; son of Samuel Cyril and Mary Crystal; married Molly Stack, April 1, 1964 (deceased, 1976); married Hilary Norman, September 18, 1976; children: (first marriage) Steven David, Susan Mary, Timothy Joseph, Lucy Alexandra; (second marriage) Benjamin Peter. Education: University College, London, B.A., 1962, Ph.D., 1966, F.C.S.T., 1983. Religion: Roman Catholic. Hobbies and other interests: Music (in all forms), cinema, book collecting.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Holyhead, Gwynedd, Wales. Office—Crystal Reference Systems, 26 Stanley St., Holyhead, Anglesey LL65 1HG, England. E-mail—davidcrystal1@gmail.com.

CAREER:

University of London, University College, London, England, research assistant, 1962-63; University of Wales, University College of North Wales, Bangor, assistant lecturer in linguistics, 1963-65, honorary professor of linguistics, 1986—; University of Reading, Reading, England, lecturer, 1965-69, reader, 1969-75, professor of linguistics, 1975-85; currently writer, lecturer on language and linguistics, and general reference books editor. Director, Ucheldre Center, Holyhead.

Also served as a consultant and/or contributor on language for various television productions, including "The Story of English," British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Television, 1986, and a radio version, for BBC World Service, 1987; various series on English for BBC Radio 4, BBC Radio 5, BBC Wales, and National Public Radio, 1980s-1990s; and "The Routes of English." also worked on "Back to Babel," Infonation and Discovery Channel, 2000; "Blimey," BBC Knowledge, 2001; "The Routes of Welsh," BBC1, 2002; "The Way We Say It," BBC Wales, 2005; "The Word on the Street," BBC1, 2005; and the BBC Voices Project, 2005.

MEMBER:

International Phonetic Association, International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language (honorary president, 1995), National Association of Professionals Concerned with Language-Impaired Children (honorary president, 1985-2002), Linguistics Association of Great Britain (secretary, 1965-70), Society of Indexers (honorary president, 1992-95), National Literacy Association (chair, 1995-2003; honorary president, 2003), British Association of Applied Linguistics, Royal Society of Arts (fellow), Philological Society, Linguistic Society of America, British Council (member of board, 1996-2001), British Academy, fellow (FBA, 2000), Sam Wanamaker Fellow at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre (2003-04), Johnson Society (honorary president, 2005-06).

AWARDS, HONORS:

Named Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), 1995; Wheatley Medal, for Words on Words: Quotations about Language and Languages, 2001.

WRITINGS:

(With R. Quirk) Systems of Prosodic and Paralinguistic Features in English, Mouton & Co. (The Hague, Netherlands), 1964.

Linguistics, Language, and Religion, Hawthorn (New York, NY), 1965.

What Is Linguistics?, Edward Arnold (Baltimore, MD), 1968, 5th edition, 1985.

(With D. Davy) Investigating English Style, Longman (New York, NY), 1969.

Prosodic Systems and Intonation in English, Cambridge University Press (Cambridge, England), 1969.

Linguistics, Penguin (New York, NY), 1971, 2nd edition, 1985.

The English Tone of Voice, Edward Arnold (Baltimore, MD), 1975.

(With D. Davy) Advanced Conversational English, Longman (New York, NY), 1975.

(With J. Bevington) Skylarks, Nelson, 1975.

(With P. Fletcher and M. Garman) The Grammatical Analysis of Language Disability, Edward Arnold (Baltimore, MD), 1976, 2nd edition, 1989.

Child Language, Learning and Linguistics, Edward Arnold (Baltimore, MD), 1976, 2nd edition, 1987, 2nd edition, 2002.

Working with LARSP, Edward Arnold (Baltimore, MD), 1979.

(With J. Foster) Databank Reading Series, Edward Arnold (Baltimore, MD), 1979.

A First Dictionary of Linguistics and Phonetics, Deutsch (London, England), 1980, 2nd edition published as Dictionary of Linguistics and Phonetics, 1985, 5th edition, Blackwell (Cambridge, MA), 2003.

Introduction to Language Pathology, Edward Arnold (Baltimore, MD), 1980, 4th edition (with Rosemary Varley), Whurr (London, England), 1998.

Clinical Linguistics, Springer (New York, NY), 1981, revised edition, Edward Arnold (Baltimore, MD), 1987.

Directions in Applied Linguistics, Academic Press (New York, NY), 1981.

Profiling Linguistic Disability, Edward Arnold (Baltimore, MD), 1982.

Who Cares about English Usage?, Penguin (New York, NY), 1984.

Linguistic Encounters with Language Handicap, Basil Blackwell (London, England), 1984.

Listen to Your Child, Penguin (New York, NY), 1986.

The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language, Cambridge University Press (Cambridge, England), 1987, 2nd edition, 1997.

Rediscover Grammar, Longman (New York, NY), 1988.

The English Language, Penguin (New York, NY), 1988.

Pilgrimage, Holy Island Press, 1988.

(With J.C. Davies) Convent, Holy Island Press, 1989.

Language from A to Z, Longman (New York, NY), 1991.

Making Sense of English Usage, Chambers (London, England), 1991.

Nineties Knowledge, Chambers (London, England), 1992.

Introducing Linguistics, Penguin (New York, NY), 1992.

An Encyclopedic Dictionary of Language and Languages, Basil Blackwell (London, England), 1992, Penguin (New York, NY), 1993, published as A Dictionary of Language, University of Chicago Press (Chicago, IL), 2001.

The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language, Cambridge University Press (Cambridge, England), 1995, 2nd edition, 2003.

English as a Global Language, Cambridge University Press (Cambridge, England), 1997, 2nd edition, 2003.

Language Death, Cambridge University Press (Cambridge, England), 2000.

(With wife, Hilary Crystal) Words on Words: Quotations about Language and Languages, University of Chicago Press (Chicago, IL), 2000.

Language and the Internet, Cambridge University Press (New York, NY), 2001, 2nd edition, 2006.

Language Play, illustrated by Ed McLachlan, University of Chicago Press (Chicago, IL), 2001.

(With Ben Crystal) Shakespeare's Words: A Glossary and Language Companion, preface by Stanley Wells, Penguin (New York, NY), 2002.

The Stories of English, Overlook Press (New York, NY), 2004.

Making Sense of Grammar, Pearson Longman (Harrow, England), 2004.

The Language Revolution, Polity Press (Cambridge, MA), 2004.

A Glossary of Netspeak and Textspeak, Edinburgh University Press (Edinburgh, Scotland), 2004.

The Shakespeare Miscellany, Penguin (London, England), 2005.

Pronouncing Shakespeare: The Globe Experiment, Cambridge University Press (New York, NY), 2005.

How Language Works: How Babies Babble, Words Change Meaning, and Languages Live or Die, Overlook Press (New York, NY), 2006.

The Fight for English: How Language Pundits Ate, Shot, and Left, Oxford University Press (New York, NY), 2006.

Words, Words, Words, Oxford University Press (New York, NY), 2006.

As They Say in Zanzibar, HarperCollins (London, England), 2006.

By Hook or by Crook: A Journey in Search of English, HarperCollins (London, England), 2007.

EDITOR

(With W. Bolton) The English Language, Cambridge University Press (Cambridge, England), 1969.

Eric Partridge: In His Own Words, Deutsch (London, England), 1980.

Linguistic Controversies, Edward Arnold (Baltimore, MD), 1982.

(With W. Bolton) The English Language, Sphere (London, England), 1987.

The Cambridge Encyclopedia, Cambridge University Press (Cambridge, England), 1990, 4th edition, 2000.

The Cambridge Concise Encyclopedia, Cambridge University Press (Cambridge, England), 1992, 2nd edition, 1995.

The Cambridge Paperback Encyclopedia, Cambridge University Press (Cambridge, England), 1993, 3rd edition, 1999.

The Cambridge Factfinder, Cambridge University Press (Cambridge, England), 1993, 4th edition, 2000.

The Cambridge Biographical Encyclopedia, Cambridge University Press (Cambridge, England), 1994, 2nd edition, 1998.

The Cambridge Biographical Dictionary, Cambridge University Press (Cambridge, England), 1996.

The New Penguin Encyclopedia, Penguin (New York, NY), 2002, 3rd edition published as The Penguin Encyclopedia, 2006.

The New Penguin Factfinder, Penguin (New York, NY), 2003, 3rd edition, 2007.

The Penguin Concise Encyclopedia, Penguin (New York, NY), 2003.

The Penguin Book of Facts, Penguin (New York, NY), 2004.

(Editor and author of introduction) Dr. Johnson's Dictionary: An Anthology, Penguin (London, England), 2005.

Contributor to books, including The Library of Modern Knowledge, Readers Digest Press, 1978; A Dictionary of Modern Thought, edited by A. Bullock, John M. Fontana, 1978, 2nd edition, 1987; and Readers Digest Book of Facts, Readers Digest Press, 1985. Also editor of "Language Library" series, Blackwell, and of Journal of Child Language, 1973-85, Child Language Teaching and Therapy, 1985-96, and Linguistics Abstracts, 1985-96.

SIDELIGHTS:

David Crystal was named an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for his services to the English language. A writer and British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) commentator on matters pertaining to the use of English, Crystal has written texts on a wide array of topics, from grammar to the spread of English as a global language. He is also a noted editor of biographical dictionaries and encyclopedias for Cambridge University Press and Penguin Books. John Ross, writing in the Times Literary Supplement, noted of Crystal's A First Dictionary of Linguistics and Phonetics: "What we have here are definitions and explanations covering the main areas of twentieth-century linguistic thought, presented in a language as clear and elegant as one could hope for." Ross continued: "For all the author's claims about the limitations of the work, it covers an impressive range of subjects." Observing that "Crystal maintains remarkable objectivity," Ross concluded that "probably the work's most outstanding quality—certainly the one most useful to its readers—is its resolute fair-mindedness." A reviewer for the Economist called The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language "a splendid tome, packed with information [and] thought provocation."

In his book, Language Death, Crystal addresses the issue of the number of languages spoken on the planet that are in danger of extinction because so few of their native speakers remain. Although Crystal acknowledges that no one is certain how many languages exist in total, he states that there is no doubt that the majority of the world's population speaks approximately four percent of the languages, while a very tiny percent of the population speaks the remaining ninety-six percent. He goes on to explain that, while it might seem an insignificant loss for barely spoken languages to fall into disuse, in reality there is a great deal of culture and history linked to each language, and those are also lost when the language ceases to be spoken. Spetom Philips, writing for Contemporary Review, remarked: "Fascinating to the specialist and non-specialist alike, this is an important book which puts across its point in clear, accessible prose." Gunter Senft, in a review for Linguistics, called Crystal's effort "a source of excellent arguments for convincing relevant agencies and research societies to provide funds for well-planned projects and programs for the documentation and revitalization of endangered languages."

Language and the Internet is the first book in which a linguist addresses the Internet's potential effects on modern language. Crystal investigates the most commonly used forms on the Internet, including e-mail, chat rooms, virtual worlds, and the web itself; and additionally, in the second edition, blogging and instant messaging. Because the Internet is a new social outlet, the format of communication is ever changing and adjusting through the ideas and behavior of its users. "Netspeak," as Crystal calls typical online language, has expanded vocabulary, adding numerous new words both through the increase in technology and through the immediate, real-time modes of communication in which people are prone to creating new words or short cuts for frequently used terms. Writing for Library Journal, Paul D'Alessandro called the book "the first snapshot of an amazingly dynamic new field," as well as "groundwork indispensable to future research." Language, Learning & Technology contributor Steven L. Thorne noted that "certain omissions are apparent in the book, but anyone writing about contemporary uses of technology knows that it presents a moving target." Dieter Stein, in a review for Linguistics, remarked that "since this book is essentially a review of current research, it has to be pointed out that a large body of research is simply not represented: research that is not in English." However, he went on to conclude: "For what the book purports to do, it does an excellent job and will have to be read by everyone who wants to put a toe in the water on the way to serious empirical study of the Internet."

With his work Shakespeare's Words: A Glossary and Language Companion, Crystal, cowriting with his son Ben, an actor, addresses the numerous problematic words in the writings of Shakespeare, and offers a guide to their complexities. In addition to meanings within the context of the plays and poetry, Crystal provides a variety of other useful pieces of information, including synopses, a general chronology, and a record of the interactions of the characters. A contributor for Booklist remarked: "This is a most ambitious work that will be of immense value to student and scholar alike, a worthy successor to the landmark volumes that preceded it."

In The Stories of English Crystal looks at the development of the language itself through the ages, and traces the numerous linguistic influences that led to the various forms of English spoken in current times. Although there was a certain standardization of the language during the fourteenth and fifteen centuries, English has generally warped and adjusted itself according to the whims of the people speaking it. A Kirkus Reviews contributor called the book "a dense, significant history," adding that "had it been shorter and otherwise more reader-friendly, it could have made waves. Regrettably, only ripples will likely ensue." Bryce Christensen, in a review for Booklist, noted of Crystal that "he never loses his focus on language," but went on to remark that he "allows some of its more colorful users … bring their personalities and voices into the chronicle." Jay Nordlinger, writing for National Review, declared: "Crystal is a linguistic liberal, but a linguistic liberal with reason. He ridicules the schoolmarms skillfully, and ultimately bests them."

How Language Works: How Babies Babble, Words Change Meaning, and Languages Live or Die looks at the mechanics of human language from every angle, including how we initially learn to speak, read, and write. Crystal even looks at the mental process behind our speech patterns and the origins of language. Joanne Wilkinson, in a review for Booklist, commented that "this volume is aimed at and written for general readers, and Crystal makes for an especially genial guide." Writing for Library Journal, contributor Marianne Orme remarked that "the text sometimes resembles lecture transcripts," but went on to note that Crystal "deals with an impressive breadth of material." Nicholas Ostler, in a contribution for New Statesman, remarked: "As with a conversation in a railway compartment, Crystal sometimes seems to be writing the whole thing off the top of his head. But it's a head that has been thinking about language for a long time, and his perceptions of the modern world are eagle-sharp."

Crystal told CA: "As long as I can remember I always wanted to write, to be like the children's authors that I read avidly. My very first published efforts were imaginative—short stories for a magazine, and I still try to find time for creative writing, though nonfiction governs me these days. Most of my books on language arise for a single simple reason: I want to read a book on the subject and I can't find one. What is probably one of my most widely known books, The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language, arose because my nephew asked me if there was ‘a book on language with pictures in it.’"

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, July, 1995, review of The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language, p. 1896; July, 2003, review of Shakespeare's Words: A Glossary and Language Companion, p. 1918; October 1, 2004, Bryce Christensen, review of The Stories of English, p. 288; November 15, 2006, Joanne Wilkinson, review of How Language Works: How Babies Babble, Words Change Meaning, and Languages Live or Die, p. 12.

Contemporary Review, July, 2001, Spetom Philips, "Speaking in Tongues" review of Language Death, p. 52.

Economist, May 6, 1995, review of The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language, p. 87.

Kirkus Reviews, August 1, 2004, review of The Stories of English, p. 721.

Language, Learning & Technology, May, 2003, Steven L. Thorne, review of Language and the Internet, p. 24.

Library Journal, September 15, 2000, Marianne Orme, review of Language Death, p. 74; November 1, 2001, Paul D'Alessandro, review of Language and the Internet, p. 90; September 1, 2006, Marianne Orme, review of How Language Works, p. 144.

Linguistics: An Interdisciplinary Journal of the Language Sciences, July, 2001, Gunter Senft, review of Language Death, p. 815; January-February, 2003, Dieter Stein, review of Language and the Internet, p. 158.

National Review, October 11, 2004, Jay Nordlinger, "Mother Tongue" review of The Stories of English, p. 62.

New Statesman, May 22, 2006, Nicholas Ostler, "Treasure Chest" review of How Language Works, p. 54.

Observer (London, England), June 4, 1995, review of The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language, p. 14; June 1, 1997, review of English as a Global Language, p. 15.

Publishers Weekly, April 10, 1995, Norman Oder, "Cambridge Studies English," p. 22.

Times Educational Supplement, May 5, 1995, review of The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language, p. 17; June 27, 1997, review of English as a Global Language, p. 7.

Times Literary Supplement, February 27, 1981, John Ross, review of A First Dictionary of Linguistics and Phonetics, p. 235; November 3, 1995, review of The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language, p. 8; January 1, 1999, review of English as a Global Language, p. 28.

ONLINE

David Crystal Home Pagehttp://www.davidcrystal.com (June 15, 2007).