Origins of Words and Phrases

Origins of Words and Phrases PDF Author: Reader's Digest Association, Limited
Publisher: Reader's Digest Association
ISBN: 9780276442445
Category : English language
Languages : en
Pages : 382

Get Book Here

Book Description
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.

Origins of Words and Phrases

Origins of Words and Phrases PDF Author: Reader's Digest Association, Limited
Publisher: Reader's Digest Association
ISBN: 9780276442445
Category : English language
Languages : en
Pages : 382

Get Book Here

Book Description
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.

Dictionary of Word Origins

Dictionary of Word Origins PDF Author: Jordan Almond
Publisher: Citadel Press
ISBN: 9780806517131
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 292

Get Book Here

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.

Oxford Dictionary of Word Origins

Oxford Dictionary of Word Origins PDF Author: Julia Cresswell
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 0199547939
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 514

Get Book Here

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

Who Said That First?

Who Said That First? PDF Author: Max Cryer
Publisher: ReadHowYouWant.com
ISBN: 1458785599
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 406

Get Book Here

Book Description
Believe it or not, this is probably the first book to attempt to identify the original sources of some of the English language's most common expressions. We might think we know who first said famous for fifteen minutes, annus horribilis, the cold war and let them eat cake. It's a no brainer, you might say, but Max Cryer has a surprise or two in ...

Word Origins And How We Know Them

Word Origins And How We Know Them PDF Author: Anatoly Liberman
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199889015
Category : Reference
Languages : en
Pages : 336

Get Book Here

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.

Origins and Meanings of Popular Phrases & Names

Origins and Meanings of Popular Phrases & Names PDF Author: Basil Hargrave
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Allusions
Languages : en
Pages : 392

Get Book Here

Book Description


Everyday Phrases

Everyday Phrases PDF Author: Neil Ewart
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780713713541
Category : English language
Languages : en
Pages : 162

Get Book Here

Book Description
Explains the meaning and implication of 400 phrases commonly used throughout the English-speaking world, such as: eager beaver and sour grapes.

The Origins of Words and Phrases

The Origins of Words and Phrases PDF Author: Reader's Digest Australia Staff
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781921344770
Category : English language
Languages : en
Pages : 382

Get Book Here

Book Description
This book delights in both the historical depth and the sheer quirkiness of English. The A to Z of words and phrases is interspersed with special features on such topics as Australian words, catchphrases, pop lyrics and street slang. Go straight to a word for its origin, or dip in and out for entertaining enlightenment. Travel the globe to find out more about the English language.

The Facts on File Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins

The Facts on File Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins PDF Author: Robert Hendrickson
Publisher: Facts on File
ISBN: 9780816040889
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 754

Get Book Here

Book Description
Explains the origins of thousands of words, proverbs, idioms, foreign language expressions, animal and plant names, and nicknames.

Dictionary of Word Origins

Dictionary of Word Origins PDF Author: John Ayto
Publisher: Arcade
ISBN: 9781611450538
Category : Reference
Languages : en
Pages : 592

Get Book Here

Book Description
Uncover the hidden and often surprising connection between words. Written in a clear and informative style, the more than 8,000 articles reveal the origins of and links between some of the most common English-language words. What is the link between map and apron, acrobat and oxygen, zeal and jealousy, flour and pollen, secret and crime? Did you know that crimson originally comes from the name of tiny scale insects, the kermes, from whose dried bodies a red dyestuff is made? That Yankee began as a nickname for Dutchmen? That omelette evolved from amulette, “a thin sheet of metal,” and is a not-too-distant cousin of the word laminate? That jeans find their antecedent in jean fustian, meaning “a cotton fabric from Genoa”? They also contain an extensive selection of words whose life histories are intrinsically fascinating or instructive. This dictionary shows how modern English has developed from its Indo-European roots and how the various influences on the language—from migration and invasion to exploration, trade, technology, and scholarship—have intermingled. It is an invaluable addition to any English or linguistics library.