Saturday, October 15, 2011

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology (Oxford Paperback Reference) Review

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology (Oxford Paperback Reference)
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Perhaps the main use of etymology references is to learn about words and how they have evolved into current usage. A good etymology reference like the Chambers / Barnhart will track the history of a word right back to its Proto-IndoEuropean roots. This is also what the Onions Oxford Etymology does. Now it is clear the Oxford didn't want to cannibalize sales of its classic Etymology Dictionary which defines about 25,000 words. This concise Etymology is a very large selection from the full Oxford, updated with some materials from the 2nd OED. What is missing in many of the etymologies is the word's full story. So, we have a good book with a decent collection that is not quite complete. IF you're looking for a good etymology at the same price, you'd do better with Ayto's Dictionary of Word Origins - only 8,000 words but provides a much more thorough treatment. If you're willing to splurge, the best etymology is the Barnhart, re-released as the Chambers Dictionary of Etymology. You get over 60,000 words, drawn almost entirely from US sources.

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Where did the words bungalow and assassin derive?What did nice mean in the Middle Ages?How were adder, anger, and umpire originally spelled?The answers can be found in this essential companion to any popular dictionary. With over 17,000 entries, this is the most authoritative and comprehensive guide to word origins available in paperback.Based on The Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, the principal authority on the origin and development of English words, it contains a wealth of information about our language and its history.For example, readers will learn that bungalow originally meant "belonging to Bengal," that assassin comes from the Arabic for "Hashish-eater," and that nice meant "foolish or stupid" in the thirteenth century, "coy or shy" in the fifteenth.And adder, anger, and umpire were originally spelled with an initial "n."These are but a few of the fascinating tidbits found in this dictionary, which is a must for anyone interested in the richness of the English language.

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