Word Origins by John Ayto (PDF)

Description

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.

User’s Reviews

Editorial Reviews: About the Author John Ayto is an experienced lexicographer and author of many language titles. He is Chief Etymologist on the Bloomsbury English Dictionary.

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐Excellent source of word histories

⭐I’ve always loved the English language and have been fascinated by where the words came from, how did they come to us? I have loved browsing the book and have learned a lot. Further, I plan to buy more copies for Friends for Xmas.

⭐Brilliant. I carry it with mehave sent 3 people to Amazon to buy it, given my copy to my son and bought another. I adore the English language and feel armed to protect from it from further abuse.

⭐My son was happy with this as a gift. He enjoys learning about languages.

⭐as expected, a very good reference book that serves to fascinate about the beauty of the english language. highly recommended to interested people

⭐It does help me a lot

⭐The book is well written, clear and direct. It offers interesting roots for the words used in everyday parlance and adds history and depth to the definition.

⭐no problems with the seller or the product

⭐Not to my liking…. Its more like a dictionary full of words explanation from a very rare and unique perspective, then the meanings of the words it self… Complete waste of time if you ask me. Cus it does not even guide on how to use the words….

⭐If you enjoy reading and/or writing and have a love of words, then you will enjoy this exploration into the background of many words we use today. We sometimes, just by habit, use phrases and words without a clear appreciation of where they came from or what insights lie behind them. This book reveals so much and is a real treasure trove of information.

⭐At the risk of sounding nerdy, I can say that I’m surprised at how interesting I have found this book. It’s on my side table so that I can dip into it whenever I think of a word that intrigues me. The link between the European languages is amazing and surprising and I can’t help but marvel at how long the author must have spent researching the book. It’s a masterpiece. An absolute must-have for everyone with an enquiring mind.

⭐Hidden History of English Words. The book was a gift and the recipient has really enjoyed the book . It arrived in good time and well packed.

⭐useful, interesting…

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