| What's in a Word: Etymological Gossip about Some Interesting English Words Contributor(s): Gorrell, Robert (Author) |
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ISBN: 0874173671 ISBN-13: 9780874173673 Publisher: University of Nevada Press OUR PRICE: $19.76 Product Type: Hardcover Published: February 2001 Annotation: Language expert Robert Gorrell explores the history of favorite and fun words in this delightful collection of stories about words and the ways in which they became part of the English language. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Language Arts & Disciplines | Linguistics - Etymology - Language Arts & Disciplines | Linguistics - General |
| Dewey: 422.4 |
| LCCN: 00011146 |
| Physical Information: 0.78" H x 5.34" W x 7.32" (0.66 lbs) 240 pages |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: Modern English is rich in words derived from sources as diverse as classical Latin and Greek, Indonesian and other Asian languages, European mythology and religion, and the popular culture of many times and places. In this survey of the origins of several hundred familiar English words, linguist Robert Gorrell explores the myriad ways our language has been shaped by successive conquests of Britain by the Romans, Germanic tribes, and Normans; by borrowings from Greek (which followed the spread of Christianity into the British Isles), Arabic, Native American languages, French, and others; and by the spread of British conquerors, colonists, and merchants around the world. |