Women's language : an analysis of style and expression in letters before 1800

Is there a special niche reserved for women’s language? This is the theory tested empirically by the authors of Women’s language, by means of an exhaustive stylistic analysis of a voluminous body of letters written in five different languages – Latin, English, German, French, and Swedish – from medieval times through to the long eighteenth century. In a detailed investigation of style and expression, the authors have applied a number of advanced methods of study to pinpoint how women expressed themselves to other women and whether they addressed themselves differently to men. Unveiling fascinating differences in language use, but none particular to female language, this authoritative work is a joy to follow for anyone interested in language, literature, stylistic analysis, and gender studies.