[PDF] The Origins Of English Words eBook

Author : Joseph Twadell Shipley
Publisher : JHU Press
Page : 688 pages
File Size : 21,86 MB
Release : 2001-07-01
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN : 0801896436

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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
Page : 356 pages
File Size : 24,97 MB
Release : 1990
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN : 9780385414272

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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 : Joseph Twadell Shipley
Publisher : JHU Press
Page : 688 pages
File Size : 32,68 MB
Release : 2001-07
Category : Foreign Language Study
ISBN : 9780801867842

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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 : Anatoly Liberman
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 336 pages
File Size : 28,6 MB
Release : 2009-04-13
Category : Reference
ISBN : 0199889015

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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 : Julia Cresswell
Publisher : Oxford University Press, USA
Page : 514 pages
File Size : 26,95 MB
Release : 2010-09-09
Category : History
ISBN : 0199547939

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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
Page : 576 pages
File Size : 15,23 MB
Release : 2008-05-29
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN : 9780713674989

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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
Page : 292 pages
File Size : 42,30 MB
Release : 1995
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN : 9780806517131

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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
Page : 442 pages
File Size : 24,75 MB
Release : 2009-07-10
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN : 1847062741

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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
Page : 290 pages
File Size : 15,68 MB
Release : 2010-08-24
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN : 0812978102

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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 : Anatoly Liberman
Publisher : OUP USA
Page : 335 pages
File Size : 30,95 MB
Release : 2009-03-16
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN : 0195387074

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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.