The Merriam-Webster New Book of Word HistoriesMerriam-Webster, 1991 - 526 pages A gold mine of fascinating word histories! This engaging and informative book reveals the origins of 1,500 words from "abigail" to "zombie", tracing in terms from the mythology of ancient Greece to the comic strips of the 20th century. This delightful volume will help you discover how a skimpy bathing suit came to be called a "bikini" and what "serendipity" has to do with Horace Walpole. |
From inside the book
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Page v
... meaning and spelling . But even if etymology may strike us as a discouraging word that should never be heard , the information that etymologists gather for us can often be not just interesting , but downright delightful . Turned into ...
... meaning and spelling . But even if etymology may strike us as a discouraging word that should never be heard , the information that etymologists gather for us can often be not just interesting , but downright delightful . Turned into ...
Page vi
... meaning takes so long and in- volves so many steps that the original meaning drops away and the word is almost stood on its head ( see silly ) . The word histories of English have some- thing close to unlimited variety , and readers are ...
... meaning takes so long and in- volves so many steps that the original meaning drops away and the word is almost stood on its head ( see silly ) . The word histories of English have some- thing close to unlimited variety , and readers are ...
Page x
... meaning . Yet no living language is static , and in time words de- velop new meanings and lose old ones . There are several directions in which semantic development frequently moves . Two common tendencies of language are generalization ...
... meaning . Yet no living language is static , and in time words de- velop new meanings and lose old ones . There are several directions in which semantic development frequently moves . Two common tendencies of language are generalization ...
Page xi
... meaning more familiar to us now . Euphemism too , though very well- intentioned , has caused many a word to take on a pejorative meaning . Peo- ple are often reluctant , from a sense of decency or prudery or even simple kindness , to ...
... meaning more familiar to us now . Euphemism too , though very well- intentioned , has caused many a word to take on a pejorative meaning . Peo- ple are often reluctant , from a sense of decency or prudery or even simple kindness , to ...
Page xii
... meaning , printed in roman type : hoosegow ... [ Sp juzgado panel of judges , tribunal , courtroom ... ] If no meaning , form , or language label is given for a word cited in an etymology , then the meaning , form , or language of the ...
... meaning , printed in roman type : hoosegow ... [ Sp juzgado panel of judges , tribunal , courtroom ... ] If no meaning , form , or language label is given for a word cited in an etymology , then the meaning , form , or language of the ...
Common terms and phrases
adjective akin to Gk akin to OHG alter American ancient animal appeared applied assumed attested back-formation became began bird borrowed into English called Church cognate common compound denote developed dialect Dictionary diminutive Dutch earlier earliest early eighteenth century England English borrowed English word etymology fascism fifteenth folk etymology fourteenth century French word gave rise German glish Gmc origin Goth Greek horse influenced Italian known language Late Latin later Latin verb Latin word LIEBFRAUMILCH literally meaning meant Medieval Latin Middle English Middle French Modern English neut nineteenth century noun Old English Old French Old High German Old Norse perh person phrase plural popular prob pronunciation refer Roman semantic seventeenth century Shakespeare similar sixteenth century song sound Spanish spelling synonym teenth century term tion trans translation turn verb Vulgar Latin WGmc writing
Popular passages
Page 6 - So I took thought, and invented what I conceived to be the appropriate title of " agnostic." It came into my head as suggestively antithetic to the " gnostic " of Church history, who professed to know so much about the very things of which I was ignorant...