The Origins of English Words

Author: Joseph Twadell Shipley
Publisher: JHU Press
ISBN: 0801896436
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 688

Book Description
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.

The Roots of English

Author: Robert Claiborne
Publisher: Anchor
ISBN: 9780385414272
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 356

Book Description
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.

The Origins of English Words

Author: Joseph Twadell Shipley
Publisher: JHU Press
ISBN: 9780801867842
Category : Foreign Language Study
Languages : en
Pages : 688

Word Origins And How We Know Them

Author: Anatoly Liberman
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199889015
Category : Reference
Languages : en
Pages : 336

Book Description
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.

Oxford Dictionary of Word Origins

Author: Julia Cresswell
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 0199547939
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 514

Book Description
Contains alphabetically arranged entries that explore the origin, evolution, and social history of over three thousand English language words.

Word Origins

Author: John Ayto
Publisher: A&C Black Business Information and Development
ISBN: 9780713674989
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 576

Book Description
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.

Dictionary of Word Origins

Author: Jordan Almond
Publisher: Citadel Press
ISBN: 9780806517131
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 292

Book Description
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.

Where Words Come From

Author: Fred Sedgwick
Publisher: A&C Black
ISBN: 1847062741
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 442

Book Description
An invaluable guide to the fascinating origins of everyday words crafted into pithy annecdotes and facts.

Origins of the Specious

Author: Patricia T. O'Conner
Publisher: Random House Trade Paperbacks
ISBN: 0812978102
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 290

Book Description
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.

Word Origins...And How We Know Them

Author: Anatoly Liberman
Publisher: OUP USA
ISBN: 0195387074
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 335

Book Description
A guide to the science and process of etymology for the layperson explains how the origins and history of hundreds of words are determined, discussing such topics as folk etymology, changes of meaning in language history, borrowed words, and the methods of etymology.