Dictionary of Word Origins (Bloomsbury reference)

by JohnAyto (Author)

• Used

  Paperback
  1999

  $4.38

  The average English speaker knows approximately 50,000 words -- almost 25 times more words than there are stars visible in the night sky. The Dictionary of Word Origins uncovers the often surprising connections between words. In more than 8,000 entries, the dictionary reveals the origins of and links between words like beef and cow, secret and crime, flour and pollen, imbecile and bacteria, plankton and complain. Written in a clear and informative style, the Dictionary of Word Origins shows how English today has developed from its Indo-European origins and how diverse influences on the language have intermingled. This highly browsable reference also looks at the many new words and coinages that enter the language every year.