A modern English grammar

A Modern English Grammar on Historical Principles represents the magnum opus of Danish linguist Otto Jespersen. Conceived as a multi-volume project that spanned several decades of the early 20th century, the work was designed to shift the study of English away from prescriptive rules and toward a descriptive, evolutionary understanding of how the language actually functions. By grounding grammar in historical development rather than rigid logic, Jespersen established a methodology that remains foundational to modern linguistics.

The 1961 edition published by Allen and Unwin served as a critical reissuing of this monumental scholarship, making Jespersen's exhaustive research accessible to a new generation of post-war academics. The design of the volumes reflects the period's preference for scholarly utilitarianism, favoring clear structural organization and dense, analytical prose over ornamental presentation. Upon its release and subsequent reprints, the series was widely received as an indispensable reference, celebrated for the author's clarity, wit, and profound insight into the mechanics of syntax and morphology.