What's in a Name?: How Proper Names Became Everday Words

by Eugene Ehrlich

A fun and informative guide to the how and why of proper names and their haphazard entry into common English language by the author of the bestselling Amo, Amas, Amat and More .

Mining the English language to turn up a colorful cast of characters, Eugene Ehrlich finds the historic and literary figures who have given their names to the English language in the interest of keeping it vibrant and their names alive. In What's in a Name? Ehrlich traces the history of eponymous words and their progenitors, illuminating the legacy of Louis Braille, inventor of the system of embossed printing for the blind; the verbal acrobatics of Baron Munchausen; the sadism of the Marquis de Sade; and much more. What's in a Name? will amuse and enlighten word buffs, history lovers, and trivia pursuers alike as Ehrlich, in his inimitable way, uncovers an exhaustive assemblage of characters who have left an indelible mark on the English language.

Genres: Language, Nonfiction, Trivia, Linguistics, History

252 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting but best if read in the bathroom, one definition at a time. If you read it straight through, your brain WILL melt with information overload. Trust me.

[Alicia King Hatch · Rating 1 out of 5]

The author is so certain that everyone has the same depth of fascination that he has with the subject that he is comfortable wandering around in his own little world in each paragraph. The topic had so much potential! But it is not reader friendly or approachable. I'll have to find a different book that covers the subject.

[Cat. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty interesting, but overdue. These are arranged alphabetically & I made it to the P's. His comments are funny asides after the explanation of where the words come from.