The Origins Of English Words
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Author | : Joseph Twadell Shipley |
Publisher | : JHU Press |
Total Pages | : 688 |
Release | : 2001-07-01 |
Genre | : Language Arts & Disciplines |
ISBN | : 0801896436 |
There are no direct records of the original Indo-European speech. By comparing the vocabularies of its various descendants, however, it is possible to reconstruct the basic Indo-European roots with considerable confidence. In The Origins of English Words, Shipley catalogues these proposed roots and follows the often devious, always fascinating, process by which some of their offshoots have grown. Anecdotal, eclectic, and always enthusiastic, The Origins of English Words is a diverting expedition beyond linguistics into literature, history, folklore, anthropology, philosophy, and science.
Author | : Robert Claiborne |
Publisher | : Anchor |
Total Pages | : 356 |
Release | : 1990 |
Genre | : Language Arts & Disciplines |
ISBN | : 9780385414272 |
Robert Claiborne gives readers a short history of the English language to show how most of the words we use today evolved from a single taproot language called Indo-European. This book is a must for all word buffs and language lovers; an intelligent and uniquely accessible examination of our vocabulary by a recognized authority.
Author | : Anatoly Liberman |
Publisher | : Oxford University Press |
Total Pages | : 336 |
Release | : 2009-04-13 |
Genre | : Reference |
ISBN | : 0199889015 |
Written in a funny, charming, and conversational style, Word Origins is the first book to offer a thorough investigation of the history and the science of etymology, making this little-known field accessible to everyone interested in the history of words. Anatoly Liberman, an internationally acclaimed etymologist, takes the reader by the hand and explains the many ways that English words can be made, and the many ways in which etymologists try to unearth the origins of words. Every chapter is packed with dozens of examples of proven word histories, used to illustrate the correct ways to trace the origins of words as well as some of the egregiously bad ways to trace them. He not only tells the known origins of hundreds of words, but also shows how their origins were determined. And along the way, the reader is treated to a wealth of fascinating word facts. Did they once have bells in a belfry? No, the original meaning of belfry was siege tower. Are the words isle and island, raven and ravenous, or pan and pantry related etymologically? No, though they look strikingly similar, these words came to English via different routes. Partly a history, partly a how-to, and completely entertaining, Word Origins invites readers behind the scenes to watch an etymologist at work.
Author | : Joseph Twadell Shipley |
Publisher | : JHU Press |
Total Pages | : 688 |
Release | : 2001-07 |
Genre | : Foreign Language Study |
ISBN | : 9780801867842 |
There are no direct records of the original Indo-European speech. By comparing the vocabularies of its various descendants, however, it is possible to reconstruct the basic Indo-European roots with considerable confidence. In The Origins of English Words, Shipley catalogues these proposed roots and follows the often devious, always fascinating, process by which some of their offshoots have grown. Anecdotal, eclectic, and always enthusiastic, The Origins of English Words is a diverting expedition beyond linguistics into literature, history, folklore, anthropology, philosophy, and science.
Author | : Julia Cresswell |
Publisher | : Oxford University Press, USA |
Total Pages | : 514 |
Release | : 2010-09-09 |
Genre | : History |
ISBN | : 0199547939 |
Contains alphabetically arranged entries that explore the origin, evolution, and social history of over three thousand English language words.
Author | : John Ayto |
Publisher | : A&C Black Business Information and Development |
Total Pages | : 576 |
Release | : 2008-05-29 |
Genre | : Language Arts & Disciplines |
ISBN | : 9780713674989 |
The average contemporary English speaker knows 50,000 words. Yet stripped down to its origins, this apparently huge vocabulary is in reality much smaller, derived from Latin, French and the Germanic languages. It is estimated that every year, 800 neologisms are added to the English language: acronyms (nimby), blended words (motel), and those taken from foreign languages (savoir-faire). Laid out in an A-Z format with detailed cross references, and written in a style that is both authoritative and accessible, Word Origins is a valuable historical guide to the English language.
Author | : Jordan Almond |
Publisher | : Citadel Press |
Total Pages | : 292 |
Release | : 1995 |
Genre | : Language Arts & Disciplines |
ISBN | : 9780806517131 |
This dictionary gives the intriguing origins of hundreds of everyday words and expressions. Useful for reference and fun just for browsing, Dictionary of Word Origins is also a great way to expand vocabulary and enjoy doing it.
Author | : Fred Sedgwick |
Publisher | : A&C Black |
Total Pages | : 442 |
Release | : 2009-07-10 |
Genre | : Language Arts & Disciplines |
ISBN | : 1847062741 |
An invaluable guide to the fascinating origins of everyday words crafted into pithy annecdotes and facts.
Author | : Patricia T. O'Conner |
Publisher | : Random House Trade Paperbacks |
Total Pages | : 290 |
Release | : 2010-08-24 |
Genre | : Language Arts & Disciplines |
ISBN | : 0812978102 |
Do you cringe when a talking head pronounces “niche” as NITCH? Do you get bent out of shape when your teenager begins a sentence with “and”? Do you think British spellings are more “civilised” than the American versions? If you answered yes to any of those questions, you’re myth-informed. In Origins of the Specious, word mavens Patricia T. O’Conner and Stewart Kellerman reveal why some of grammar’s best-known “rules” aren’t—and never were—rules at all. This playfully witty, rigorously researched book sets the record straight about bogus word origins, politically correct fictions, phony français, fake acronyms, and more. Here are some shockers: “They” was once commonly used for both singular and plural, much the way “you” is today. And an eighteenth-century female grammarian, of all people, is largely responsible for the all-purpose “he.” From the Queen’s English to street slang, this eye-opening romp will be the toast of grammarphiles and the salvation of grammarphobes. Take our word for it.
Author | : Reader's Digest Association, Limited |
Publisher | : Reader's Digest Association |
Total Pages | : 382 |
Release | : 2008-02-01 |
Genre | : English language |
ISBN | : 9780276442445 |
Reveals the secrets, scandals and surprises behind the words used every day. This book includes the stories and the personalities that have helped shape the English language from William Shakespeare and Lord Byron, to Rudyard Kipling and Salmon Rushdie.