Word Origins

Author : Anatoly Liberman
Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0199889015
Total Pages : 336 pages
Book Rating : 4.13/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Word Origins And How We Know Them written by Anatoly Liberman and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2009-04-13 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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 : Jordan Almond
Publisher : Citadel Press
ISBN 13 : 9780806517131
Total Pages : 292 pages
Book Rating : 4.31/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Dictionary of Word Origins written by Jordan Almond and published by Citadel Press. This book was released on 1995 with total page 292 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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 : John Ayto
Publisher : A&C Black Business Information and Development
ISBN 13 : 9780713674989
Total Pages : 576 pages
Book Rating : 4.89/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Word Origins written by John Ayto and published by A&C Black Business Information and Development. This book was released on 2008-05-29 with total page 576 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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 : Julia Cresswell
Publisher : Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN 13 : 0199547939
Total Pages : 514 pages
Book Rating : 4.37/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Oxford Dictionary of Word Origins written by Julia Cresswell and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2010-09-09 with total page 514 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Contains alphabetically arranged entries that explore the origin, evolution, and social history of over three thousand English language words.

Author : Wilfred John Funk
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9780517265741
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.45/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Word Origins and Their Romantic Stories written by Wilfred John Funk and published by . This book was released on 1978 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Life stories of words, how, when and where they originated, and how their meaning changed and developed through the centuries.

Author : Fred Sedgwick
Publisher : A&C Black
ISBN 13 : 1847062741
Total Pages : 442 pages
Book Rating : 4.41/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Where Words Come From written by Fred Sedgwick and published by A&C Black. This book was released on 2009-07-10 with total page 442 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An invaluable guide to the fascinating origins of everyday words crafted into pithy annecdotes and facts.

Author : Joseph T Shipley
Publisher : Open Road Media
ISBN 13 : 1504068041
Total Pages : 1067 pages
Book Rating : 4.48/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Dictionary of Word Origins written by Joseph T Shipley and published by Open Road Media. This book was released on 2021-10-26 with total page 1067 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This extensive reference volume presents the etymological history of thousands of English words. The story of how words come to be is the story of how humans think, and how we fashion our civilizations. Words can be the product of long and intertwining histories, migrations from other languages, or new coinages of science or slang. This diversity of origins is part of what gives the English language its beauty and power. In Dictionary of Word Origins, etymologist Joseph T. Shipley provides a fascinating window into the evolution of modern English, from the onomatopoetic aspect of “abash” to the animalistic origins of “zodiac.”

Author : Patricia T. O'Conner
Publisher : Random House Trade Paperbacks
ISBN 13 : 0812978102
Total Pages : 290 pages
Book Rating : 4.00/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Origins of the Specious written by Patricia T. O'Conner and published by Random House Trade Paperbacks. This book was released on 2010-08-24 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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 :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9780760755433
Total Pages : 552 pages
Book Rating : 4.34/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Webster's Dictionary of Word Origins written by and published by . This book was released on 2004 with total page 552 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Author : John Ayto
Publisher : Franklin Watts
ISBN 13 : 9780199108084
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.80/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Oxford School Dictionary of Word Origins written by John Ayto and published by Franklin Watts. This book was released on 2002 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Trialled and tested in schoolsFor the first time a comprehensive dictionary of word origins will be available for all school students.Each headword entry gives a complete and fascinating story about how a particular word came into the English language and evolved over time. In addition, each headword entry includes meanings and how each word is used in context.It also includes 40 extended panels covering a range of themes like:* Other languages which gave vocabulary to the English language form Arabic and Australian-Aboriginal to Urdu and Yiddish* Acronyms (AIDS, NATO), eponyms (Wellingtons), invented words (nylon, spoof), shortened words (photo, exam), blends (motor and hotel became motel) and folk etymology* Subjects students are interested in, ranging from food and drink, animals, sports, space, to first names and illnesses