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
Results 1-5 of 73
Page v
... things like 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 ...
... things like 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 ...
Page vi
... thing close to unlimited variety , and readers are invited to discover that vari- ety for themselves in this book . Here you can catch glimpses of the social , cultural , and religious history of the English - speaking peoples and of ...
... thing close to unlimited variety , and readers are invited to discover that vari- ety for themselves in this book . Here you can catch glimpses of the social , cultural , and religious history of the English - speaking peoples and of ...
Page 5
... thing that is in the subordinate position is being " protect- ed " by the other ; hence , an aegis is something that protects or shields . In ancient Greece the word aigis was used literally of something that offered physical protection ...
... thing that is in the subordinate position is being " protect- ed " by the other ; hence , an aegis is something that protects or shields . In ancient Greece the word aigis was used literally of something that offered physical protection ...
Page 6
... things of which I was ignorant ; and I took the earliest opportunity of parading it at our Society . " The most reasonable statement that can be made reconciling these differing opinions of Hutton and Huxley is that both are correct to ...
... things of which I was ignorant ; and I took the earliest opportunity of parading it at our Society . " The most reasonable statement that can be made reconciling these differing opinions of Hutton and Huxley is that both are correct to ...
Page 7
... thing to say , I can hear you farther off , I an't deaf . Ben . Why that's true as you say , nor I an't dumb , I can be heard as far as another -William Congreve , Love for Love , 1695 Hard on the heels of the ' am not ' use comes one ...
... thing to say , I can hear you farther off , I an't deaf . Ben . Why that's true as you say , nor I an't dumb , I can be heard as far as another -William Congreve , Love for Love , 1695 Hard on the heels of the ' am not ' use comes one ...
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...