Raymond Williams' seminal exploration of the history of meaning of some of the m
ost important words in the English language. First published in 1976, and expand
ed in 1983, KEYWORDS reveals how the meanings of 131 words - including 'art', 'c
lass', 'family', 'media', 'sex' and 'tradition' - were formed and subsequently a
ltered and redefined as the historical contexts in which they were used changed.
Neither a defining dictionary or glossary, KEYWORDS is rather a brilliant inves
tigation into how the meanings of some of the most important words in the Englis
h language have shifted over time, and the forces that brought about those shift
s.
