The Etymologicon: A Circular Stroll Through the Hi
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This perfect gift for readers, writers, and literature majors alike unearths the quirks of the English language. For example, do you know why a mortgage is literally a “death pledge”? Why guns have girls’ names? Why “salt” is related to “soldier”? Discover the answers to all of these etymological questions and more in this fascinating book for fans of of Eats, Shoots & Leaves.
The Etymologicon is a completely unauthorized guide to the strange underpinnings of the English language. It explains how you get from “gruntled” to “disgruntled”; why you are absolutely right to believe that your meager salary barely covers “money for salt”; how the biggest chain of coffee shops in the world connects to whaling in Nantucket; and what, precisely, the Rolling Stones have to do with gardening. This witty book will awake the linguist in you and illuminate the hidden meanings behind common words and phrases, tracing their evolution through all of their surprising paths throughout history.
ASIN : 0425260798
Publisher : Berkley; Reprint edition (October 2, 2012)
Language : English
Paperback : 304 pages
ISBN-10 : 9780425260791
ISBN-13 : 978-0425260791
Item Weight : 2.31 pounds
Dimensions : 5.1 x 0.8 x 7.7 inches
13 reviews for The Etymologicon: A Circular Stroll Through the Hi
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Original price was: $20.00.$16.00Current price is: $16.00.
William Orr –
A Language Lover’s Delight
Forsyth’s sense of humor and brilliance of the etymological development of languages is unparalleled. I have not read the book entirely yet but it’s a laugh out loud read while he brilliantly explains how, why and where the development of terminology in the English language occurred inmeticulous detail. I’m looking forward to his quizzes in the back of the book!
Kay folsom –
Couldn’t tear myself away
I’m always looking for new words and their origins and connections. This instantly became one of my favorite books. Written so creatively with one topic or word segueing into the next. Mind blown when I reached the end and I immediately turned to the first page again to start all over. I carry this book in my bag almost everywhere now to share fascinating snippets will fellow lovers of words. (page markers are good to keep on hand) At any given time there’s an opportunity to reference this book with our day to day language. You will not be disappointed!!!!!
GodsAmbassador –
Reads like Anchor Yale dictionary
Though it is written in the style of biblical dictionaries/lexicons, understanding is enhanced for up-and-coming wordsmiths. I suppose it is best understood as the ongoing effort to increase the distance from the german language as what people want to call english is yet one of the ‘dialects of german’, but it remains a ‘dialect of english’ which arrived in the UK with the Anglo-Saxons (those whom ‘proper english people are wont to call barbarians- go figure). Etymology is something many refuse to allow in their learning curve. So-called ‘english’ is a huge thief when it comes to words and is still the only form of communication within a grouping of people seeking to build a vault of words and meanings. There is a book called the ‘Dictionary of English Words’ (tongue in cheek) which purports to have two hundred seventy-five entries between the front and back covers with break down as follows >12% actual english words, 50% Greek and Latin words, the other 32% is a mixture of pilfered from other languages. What is called ?english? is a conglomerate of stolen communication. The Etymologicon will awake your curiosity.
Michael Z. Jody –
Erudite, smart and very, very funny
I love Mark Forsyth books. He is an incredibly fun nonfiction, writer, as well as being charming, amusing, and fascinating.
Nora Baeza –
Words origin
Very interesting. Love to read and learn where all the words come from…
William L Hampton –
This book is just marvelous.
Its meandering style and constant barrage of factoids make this book excellent for reading aloud—especially since listeners can leave and return and miss parts without feeling lost. Its style also make it easy to put down and pick up again, no matter how much or how little reading time you have to spare in a given session. Though you might find yourself engrossed and unable to put it down!That said, there is so much to learn that I was tempted to stop after every page, so that I could digest and synthesize all the new, very accessible information and show off my new knowledge to friends—and random strangers, and neighbors on grocery lines. I have to assume the author, who seems to be of the same inclination, would approve,
B Badgett –
A witty look into history and why we say the things we say.
A funny and interesting look into the history of language, how words change over time, and authors who are notorious for making things up as they go. His voice captured me (not literally but figuratively) from the very beginning and kept me reading all the way to ‘The End.’
K. Keenan –
yikes
I love etymology and find it very useful to help me understand language as a whole- so I was pretty psyched for a book like this! I had hoped it would just reveal something interesting about common words and phrases, but no… it truly is as the title says: circular. I’m not sure about the “stroll” part. Maybe if you think a stroll is getting dragged lightly by a lame horse. Maybe it’s just the author’s writing style, but I found it to be annoying and smug. I ended up throwing this in the donation pile because it was just that unreadable.
Goujon Yves –
The etymologicon (que j’ai déjà en livre et que je conseille à toutes celles et tous ceux qui lisent l’anglais et s’y intéressent) est un plaisir d’écoute aussi passionnant pour l’érudition de Mark Forsyth que pour son humour subtilement distillé en maître. Je suis de ceux qui pensent qu’il est pédant (non seulement au sens de personne qui aime étaler sa culture mais également d’une fatuité un rien dérangeante) et qu’il n’est pas avare de compliments…à son égard. Force est d’admettre qu’il a du talent à intéresser et garder en haleine son lectorat en expliquant de fort nombreuses étymologies et qu’il a parfois de véritables traits de génie dans la rédaction. Mieux vaut le lire ou l’écouter mais, dans ce dernier cas, pas sur son site où il agace un peu pour les raisons invoquées plus haut. Concernant l’article, il contient 6 CDs un peu chers à mon goût; le livre est plus abordable et possède la qualité évidente de présenter l’orthographe des mots inconnus (puisque peu ou plus utilisés, surtout le premier que je ne dévoilerai pas pour seulement inciter à lire mais sans aucunement renier votre achat de l’audio !). Et pour plagier ses boutades je vous dirai: “si vous voulez l’audio…c’est à vous de voir !”
Sandy –
For anyone who really loves words and their meanings and histories, like myself, this book is a must-read. I loved it! It’s light, entertaining, fascinating and educational, written in a smooth, amusing (dry humour but certainly NOT a dry read), witty style, rather chummy, as if you were talking to your buddy down the pub who happens to be a word nerd. The Etymologicon is for anyone who has ever asked why you can be disgruntled but not gruntled, what humble pie actually is, or where swear words come from. A winner!
Readerinoz –
Wonderfully informative and entertaining book. Takes a clever person to make this subject entertaining and he does it well.
Wally –
Read as one continuous story, Forsyth weaves and connects words and stories so seamlessly. If you’re looking for a dictionary on etymology, this isn’t it. This is a beautiful piece of work strung together with stories, anecdotes and history with a generous sprinkle of wit around almost every turn. Complete fun ride this is.
Cliente Amazon –
Un libro curioso, spiega le origini di alcune parole inglesi proponendo agganci con la lingua francese, italiana e tedesca, oltre che al latino e al greco e ad un sacco di altre lingue. Fortunatamente l’autore, benché rigoroso, riesce a mantenere una scrittura leggera e qualche volta anche scherzosa, rendendo il libro molto gradevole da leggere. Ad esempio, lo sapevate che la parola biscotto deriva dal francese “bi cuit” che vuol dire cotto due volte? Adesso che lo avete letto appare evidente, ma quanti di voi lo sapevano già da prima? Se siete dei tipi curiosi questo è il libro che fa per voi. Attenzione però: Il libro è scritto In inglese.