Finding the best word etymology suitable for your needs isnt easy. With hundreds of choices can distract you. Knowing whats bad and whats good can be something of a minefield. In this article, weve done the hard work for you.
Best word etymology
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Best word etymology reviews
1. Dictionary of Word Origins: The Histories of More Than 8,000 English-Language Words
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Dictionary of Word Origins The Histories of More Than 8 000 English Language WordsDescription
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?
The Dictionary of Word Origins uncovers 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. 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 languagefrom migration and invasion to exploration, trade, technology, and scholarshiphave intermingled. It is an invaluable addition to any English or linguistics library.
The Dictionary of Word Origins uncovers 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. 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 languagefrom migration and invasion to exploration, trade, technology, and scholarshiphave intermingled. It is an invaluable addition to any English or linguistics library.
2. English Words from Latin and Greek Elements
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Used Book in Good ConditionDescription
Since 1965, Donald Ayers' English Words from Latin and Greek Elements has helped thousands of students to a broader vocabulary by showing them how to recognize classical roots in modern English words. Its second edition, published in 1986, has confirmed that vocabulary is best taught by root, not rote. The importance of learning classical word roots is already acknowledged by vocabulary texts that devote chapters to them.
Why a whole book based on this approach? Ayers' text exposes students to a wider range of roots, introduces new English words in context sentences, and reinforces vocabulary through exercises. It promotes more practice with roots so that students learn to use them as tools in their everyday encounters with new words. English Words is written from the standpoint of English; it neither attempts to teach students Latin or Greek nor expects a knowledge of classical languages on the part of instructors. Its success has been demonstrated at both the secondary and college levels, and it can be used effectively with students in remedial or accelerated programs.
An Instructor's Manual (gratis with adoption) and a Workbook are also available.
Why a whole book based on this approach? Ayers' text exposes students to a wider range of roots, introduces new English words in context sentences, and reinforces vocabulary through exercises. It promotes more practice with roots so that students learn to use them as tools in their everyday encounters with new words. English Words is written from the standpoint of English; it neither attempts to teach students Latin or Greek nor expects a knowledge of classical languages on the part of instructors. Its success has been demonstrated at both the secondary and college levels, and it can be used effectively with students in remedial or accelerated programs.
An Instructor's Manual (gratis with adoption) and a Workbook are also available.
3. Oxford Dictionary of Word Origins (Oxford Quick Reference)
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Oxford University Press USADescription
Combining both accessibility and authority, The Oxford Dictionary of Word Origins describes the origins and development of over 3,000 words and phrases in the English language. The book draws on Oxford's unrivalled dictionary research program and language monitoring, and relates the fascinating stories behind many of our most curious terms and expressions in order to offer the reader a much more detailed explanation than can be found in a general English dictionary.Organized A-Z, the entries include first known use along with examples that illustrate the many faces of the particular word or phrase, from 'handsome' to 'bachelor' and 'cute' to 'baby', from 'pagan' to 'palaver' and 'toff' to 'torpedo'. Also featured are almost 20 special panels that cover expressions common in English but drawn from other languages, such as 'coffee', 'sugar', and 'candy' from Arabic or 'booze', 'brandy', and 'gin' (Dutch).
This absorbing volume is useful for language students and enthusiasts, but also an intriguing read for any person interested in the development of the English language and of language development in general. It also includes an extended introduction on the history of the English language.
4. Most Comprehensive Origins of Cliches, Proverbs and Figurative Expressions
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Used Book in Good ConditionDescription
In what may just be the most detailed, accurate and comprehensive book of its type ever published, Stanley J. St. Clair, author of On the Origin of the Clichs and Evolution of Idioms, delves deep into the history of phrases and common English expressions, exposing numerous misconceptions and incorrect previously published origins. By enlarging the page size, using smaller print, and removing the illustrations and humorous antidotes, St. Clair is able to include all of the entries in his two previous volumes and double the combined number in this remarkable work.Many of our common catchphrases are actually misquotes, often even attributed wrongly. Did you know that Me Tarzan, you Jane was never used in any Tarzan book or movie? Are you aware of the fact that Elementary, my dear Watson never appeared in any of Sir Arthur Conan Doyles Sherlock Holmes novels? Then from where did these quotes originate? Did you know that umpteenth time was in use almost 100 years before top printed sources claim? Did you know that God willing and the Creeks dont rise originally had nothing to do with streams of water? Did you know that How do you like them apples? was not referring to the fruit, and that the date of its first appearance in print is often wrongly stated?Unlike most phrase dictionaries, in many cases this work not only gives the definition and most likely origin, but early citations as well. With entries as ancient as By the skin of my teeth to as new as Kicking the can down the road, this comprehensive work is sure to appeal to seekers of truth everywhere. The author welcomes your comments. This is the first of three books in this series.5. The Etymologicon: A Circular Stroll Through the Hidden Connections of the English Language
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Berkley TradeDescription
This perfect gift for readers, writers, and literature majors alike unearths the quirks of the English language. For example,doyou know why a mortgage is literally a death pledge? Why guns have girls names? Whysalt is related tosoldier? Discover the answers to all of these etymological questions and more in this fascinating book for fans ofofEats, Shoots & Leaves.The Etymologicon is a completely unauthorized guide to the strange underpinnings of the English language. It explains how you get from gruntled to disgruntled; why you are absolutely right to believe that your meager salary barely covers money for salt; how the biggest chain of coffee shops in the world connects to whaling in Nantucket; and what, precisely, the Rolling Stones have to do with gardening. This witty book will awake the linguist in you and illuminate the hidden meanings behind common words and phrases, tracing their evolution through all of their surprising paths throughout history.
6. Word Origins
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Used Book in Good ConditionDescription
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.7. Etymological Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew: Based on the Commentaries of Samson Raphael Hirsch (English and Hebrew Edition)
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This dictionary, based on the commentaries of Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch, is a monumental work and guide to understanding the Biblical commentary of Rabbi Hirsch. This work analyzes the deep concepts inherent in Hebrew, the Divine language, revealing how every word's root contains connotations essential to a greater understanding of Torah.8. The Lost Words
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In 2007, when a new edition of the Oxford Junior Dictionary widely used in schools around the world was published, a sharp-eyed reader soon noticed that around forty common words concerning nature had been dropped. Apparently they were no longer being used enough by children to merit their place in the dictionary. The list of these lost words included acorn, adder, bluebell, dandelion, fern, heron, kingfisher, newt, otter, and willow. Among the words taking their place were attachment, blog, broadband, bullet-point, cut-and-paste, and voice-mail. The news of these substitutions the outdoor and natural being displaced by the indoor and virtual became seen by many as a powerful sign of the growing gulf between childhood and the natural world.
Ten years later, Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris set out to make a spell book that will conjure back twenty of these lost words, and the beings they name, from acorn to wren. By the magic of word and paint, they sought to summon these words again into the voices, stories, and dreams of children and adults alike, and to celebrate the wonder and importance of everyday nature. The Lost Words is that book a work that has already cast its extraordinary spell on hundreds of thousands of people and begun a grass-roots movement to re-wild childhood across Britain, Europe, and North America.
9. A Mushroom Word Guide: Etymology, Pronunciation, and Meanings of over 1,500 Words
