Oxford Dictionary of Word Origins

Oxford Dictionary of Word Origins

Author: Julia Cresswell

Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA

Published: 2010-09-09

Total Pages: 514

ISBN-13: 0199547939

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


Oxford School Dictionary of Word Origins

Oxford School Dictionary of Word Origins

Author: John Ayto

Publisher: Franklin Watts

Published: 2002

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780199108084

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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


Word Origins And How We Know Them

Word Origins And How We Know Them

Author: Anatoly Liberman

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2009-04-13

Total Pages: 336

ISBN-13: 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.


Oxford English Dictionary

Oxford English Dictionary

Author: John A. Simpson

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2002-04-18

Total Pages:

ISBN-13: 9780195218893

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The Oxford English Dictionary is the internationally recognized authority on the evolution of the English language from 1150 to the present day. The Dictionary defines over 500,000 words, making it an unsurpassed guide to the meaning, pronunciation, and history of the English language. This new upgrade version of The Oxford English Dictionary Second Edition on CD-ROM offers unparalleled access to the world's most important reference work for the English language. The text of this version has been augmented with the inclusion of the Oxford English Dictionary Additions Series (Volumes 1-3), published in 1993 and 1997, the Bibliography to the Second Edition, and other ancillary material. System requirements: PC with minimum 200 MHz Pentium-class processor; 32 MB RAM (64 MB recommended); 16-speed CD-ROM drive (32-speed recommended); Windows 95, 98, Me, NT, 200, or XP (Local administrator rights are required to install and open the OED for the first time on a PC running Windows NT 4 and to install and run the OED on Windows 2000 and XP); 1.1 GB hard disk space to run the OED from the CD-ROM and 1.7 GB to install the CD-ROM to the hard disk: SVGA monitor: 800 x 600 pixels: 16-bit (64k, high color) setting recommended. Please note: for the upgrade, installation requires the use of the OED CD-ROM v2.0.


Word Origins

Word Origins

Author: John Ayto

Publisher: A&C Black Business Information and Development

Published: 2008-05-29

Total Pages: 576

ISBN-13: 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.


An Analytic Dictionary of the English Etymology

An Analytic Dictionary of the English Etymology

Author: Anatoly Liberman

Publisher: U of Minnesota Press

Published:

Total Pages: 413

ISBN-13: 1452913218

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This work introduces renowned linguistics scholar Anatoly Liberman's comprehensive dictionary and bibliography of the etymology of English words. The English etymological dictionaries published in the past claim to have solved the mysteries of word origins even when those origins have been widely disputed. An Analytic Dictionary of English Etymology "by contrast, discusses all of the existing derivations of English words and proposes the best one. In the inaugural volume, Liberman addresses fifty-five words traditionally dismissed as being of unknown etymology. Some of the entries are among the most commonly used words in English, including man, boy, girl, bird, brain, understand, key, ever, " and yet." Others are slang: mooch, nudge, pimp, filch, gawk, " and skedaddle." Many, such as beacon, oat, hemlock, ivy," and toad," have existed for centuries, whereas some have appeared more recently, for example, slang, kitty-corner, " and Jeep." They are all united by their etymological obscurity. This unique resource book discusses the main problems in the methodology of etymological research and contains indexes of subjects, names, and all of the root words. Each entry is a full-fledged article, shedding light for the first time on the source of some of the most widely disputed word origins in the English language. "Anatoly Liberman is one of the leading scholars in the field of English etymology. Undoubtedly his work will be an indispensable tool for the ongoing revision of the etymological component of the entries in the Oxford English Dictionary."" --Bernhard Diensberg, OED" consultant, French etymologies Anatoly Liberman is professor of Germanic philology at the University of Minnesota. He has published many works, including 16 books, most recently Word Origins . . . and How We Know Them: Etymology for Everyone."


The Oxford Guide to Etymology

The Oxford Guide to Etymology

Author: Philip Durkin

Publisher: OUP Oxford

Published: 2011-07-07

Total Pages: 360

ISBN-13: 0191618780

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This practical introduction to word history investigates every aspect of where words come from and how they change. Philip Durkin, chief etymologist of the Oxford English Dictionary, shows how different types of evidence can shed light on the myriad ways in which words change in form and meaning. He considers how such changes can be part of wider linguistic processes, or be influenced by a complex mixture of social and cultural factors. He illustrates every point with a wide range of fascinating examples. Dr Durkin investigates folk etymology and other changes which words undergo in everyday use. He shows how language families are established, how words in different languages can have a common ancester, and the ways in which the latter can be distinguished from words introduced through language contact. He examines the etymologies of the names of people and places. His focus is on English but he draws many examples from languages such as French, German, and Latin which cast light on the pre-histories of English words. The Oxford Guide to Etymology is reliable, readable, instructive, and enjoyable. Everyone interested in the history of words will value this account of an endlessly fascinating subject.


Words of the World

Words of the World

Author: Sarah Ogilvie

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2013

Total Pages: 261

ISBN-13: 1107021839

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Demonstrates that the Oxford English Dictionary is an international product in both its content and its making.


The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology

Author: T. F. Hoad

Publisher: Oxford Paperbacks

Published: 1993-06-03

Total Pages: 580

ISBN-13: 9780192830982

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Where did the words bungalow and assassin derive? What did nice mean in the Middle Ages? How were adder, anger, and umpire originally spelt? The answers can be found in this essential companion to any popular dictionary. With over 17,000 entries, this is the most authoritative and comprehensive guide to word origins available in paperback. Based on The Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, the principal authority on the origin and development of English words, it contains a wealth of information about our language and its history.