Dictionary of Word Origins: The Histories of More Than 8,000 English-Language Words

Good gift for a language lover and book reader who has everything! Interesting word origins explained. Fun to read.

invaluable resource for language enthusiasts and curious minds alike. The book delves into the fascinating etymology of hubdreds of words, revealing their historical roots and evolution over time. Its well-organized entries make it easy to navigate and find information, while the detailed explanations keep you engaged. Whether you're a writer, student, or simply love words, this book provides both practical knowledge and intriguing insights into the origins of the language we use every day.

The book I got was used, but in very good condition. I can tell it is used because it has names of previous owners. I knew it was used when I ordered it. It costs less that way. I have too many books, but I was missing a book I had that briefly explaind the meanings and origins of many words and root words, especially in scientific nomenclature. I don't want to to get another copy of that exact book in case it is still around and I just don't know where. It is more expensive than I expected fir such a tiny but useful book. This book has similar information in a similar format. It is set up in alphabetical order like a dictionary, which makes it easier to find specific words. You can also just browse at random for fun. I havenot looked st much of this book yet, partly because it is much bigger than the little book I used to have. The history of the word diaper is fascinating and not what I would have expected. This book traces the history of words through multiple languages and connects them to other words that we may or may not have suspected were related. Yet each entry is short enough that I can ready it quickly don't feel overwhelmed by the volume of words. If you like etymology, you will.like this book.

A good book although way too heavy in Latin borrowings that few know and no one says. I hoped I could use it to easily look up word origins for actually said and written words, and it can be used for that to a fair degree, but you have to sift past a million words you've never heard and won't ever say to find the word you need. I say this being a linguist who has studied Latin and Latin derived languages mind you. I can't single out the compilers for this as it is just the mainstream orthodoxy to prioritize obscure Latin borrowings over actual English words. However they should put a note about whether it is supposed to be for common English words or for obscure rare foreign words, or how heavy it leans to one set of vocabulary or another.

This collection is pretty vast considering its size. There are many terms’ etymologies that I didn’t know the entire history. The accurate derivations from the original languages and examples are great. They’re also humorous. I’ve read complaints that it doesn’t have enough words. Such a work would require years of specialists collecting data. It would be akin to an encyclopedia set to say the least. English is the most etymologically diverse language on earth. This is a great dictionary for any library.

What I love most about this is that it not only introduces the root (or first usage), it also gives you related words in English and other languages). You get the story of each word and can go down some excellent rabbit holes. Example: thorough is related to through, which comes from West Germanic *thurkh, from PIE *tr, which also produced the Latin trans. And nostril means "nose hole" (OE nosu thyrl), and btw thirl is still a a dialectal word for hole.

I LOVE dictionaries. This is one of my favorites. Where else are you going to learn that earth-pig is an aardvark? This is fun reading & I'm enjoying it more than the usual dictionaries. It reads like one should.. a friendly, comprehensive exploration of each word. However, I have a big complaint in that on the cover, he shows all these words.. they are drifting out of the open book which seems to indicate those words are in HIS dictionary. They are not. I had to find 'Derwen' after digging into the internet, it's not in this book. Neither are the others he has shown on the cover. Very disappointing. For that I give this book only 3 stars.

This is a wonderful book! It is indispensable to students or anyone who reads books that have been written in the past, or for those with a curious nature. The dictionary is in alphabetical order with stories of how each word came into the English language and has evolved over time. For example: Alcohol - Originally, alcohol was a powder, not a liquid. The word comes from Arabic al-kuhul, literally `the kohl'--that is, powdered antimony used as a cosmetic for darkening the eyelids. This was borrowed into English via French or Medieval Latin, and retained this `powder' meaning for some centuries (for instance, `They put between the eyelids and the eye a certain black powder made of a mineral brought from the kingdom of Fez, and called Alcohol,' George Sandys, Travels 1615). But a change was rapidly taking place: from specifically `antimony,' alcohol came to mean any substance obtained by sublimation, and hence `quintessence.' Alcohol of wine was thus the `quintessence of wine,' produced by distillation or rectification, and by the middle of the 18th century alcohol was being used on its own for the intoxicating ingredient in strong liquor. The more precise chemical definition (a compound with a hydroxyl group bound to a hydrocarbon group) developed in the 19th century.

Um ótimo livro de apoio pra quem quer enriquecer o vocabulário inglês e de quebra entende melhor como funciona a língua inglesa.

I bought this for a friend and she loves it. I read it first and it's full of fascinating information about the origin of the words we use but never knew how they came into being. Recommended.

I bought this book because I’m obsessed with understanding the root definition of a word but also evolution of a word. People throw words around without precision or true meaning in the modern world. This book keeps your language precise and helps articulate your meaning with deeper understanding. Very easy to read and flows well like a dictionary.

俗語、新語、語源、成句など多方面に渡る辞書を刊行してきたJohn Aytoの語源辞典である。long には「長い」という意味の形容詞と「待ち望む」という意味の動詞がある。昔から両者の関係を知りたいと考えていたので早速引いてみた。両者は同語源で動詞の意味はseem long に由来するという。『ジニアス英和大辞典』 (s.v. long [形]）)にはOnly five minutes seems long when we wait.(待つ身にはほんの5分間が長く思える)の例がある。「長く思える」→「待ち望む」と連想がうまく働きそうである。古期英語、中期英語、ラテン語などの知識がなくてもすらすら読めるように平易な英語で書かれた語源辞典である。英語の語源辞典は山のようにあるが、この語源辞典はお勧めできる。

I love words and I enjoy writing so this lovely word book is sitting on my desk and used often.