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Into the Words: An Etymologist's Field Guide to Plants, Animals, and Nature
Not yet published
Expected 5 Nov 26256 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication November 5, 2026
About the author
Jess Zafarris
7 books88 followersJess Zafarris is the author of several bestselling books on etymology (word origins), including Once Upon a Word: A Word-Origin Dictionary for Kids (Rockridge Press, 2020), Words from Hell: Unearthing the Darkest Secrets of English Etymology (Chambers, 2023), Useless Etymology: Offbeat Word Origins for Curious Minds (Chambers, 2025), and Into the Words: An Etymologist’s Field Guide to Plants, Animals and Nature (Chambers, 2026). She is also a video content creator who has built a devoted social media following of more than 150,000 followers on TikTok and Instagram, and she co-hosts the podcast Words Unravelled, which has more than 150,000 YouTube subscribers along with more than 30,000 daily listeners across podcast platforms. Her blog, UselessEtymology.com, has been educating curious word lovers for more than a decade.
In addition to her books on etymology, she coauthored the book A Miscellany of Weird and Wonderful Facts for Curious Humans Who Have Nothing Better to Do Than Read (You Know Who You Are) (Media Lab Books, 2026), as well as several tabletop RPG adventures and scenarios published in print through Media Lab Books and Parallel Dimension Gaming.
She serves as an adjunct professor in the Writing, Literature, and Publishing department at Emerson College, teaching courses on writing and media business, and is an Editor-at-Large for Ragan Communications and PR Daily, where she produces major conferences for social media and communications professionals. She has been a featured speaker, panelist, and emcee at events including SXSW EDU, the Writer’s Digest’s Annual Conference, and Rising Phoenix, and she teaches writing- and author-centric courses for a range of universities and online platforms. She has developed word-origin content for Dictionary.com. She and her work have been quoted, featured, and mentioned in The New York Times, NPR, The Guardian, The Boston Globe, Reader's Digest, and Harper’s Magazine, and she has appeared on BBC World Service Radio, NPR, and Boston Public Radio.
In the past, she has held content and audience engagement director roles at Adweek, Writer’s Digest, and Ragan Communications & PR Daily.
In addition to her books on etymology, she coauthored the book A Miscellany of Weird and Wonderful Facts for Curious Humans Who Have Nothing Better to Do Than Read (You Know Who You Are) (Media Lab Books, 2026), as well as several tabletop RPG adventures and scenarios published in print through Media Lab Books and Parallel Dimension Gaming.
She serves as an adjunct professor in the Writing, Literature, and Publishing department at Emerson College, teaching courses on writing and media business, and is an Editor-at-Large for Ragan Communications and PR Daily, where she produces major conferences for social media and communications professionals. She has been a featured speaker, panelist, and emcee at events including SXSW EDU, the Writer’s Digest’s Annual Conference, and Rising Phoenix, and she teaches writing- and author-centric courses for a range of universities and online platforms. She has developed word-origin content for Dictionary.com. She and her work have been quoted, featured, and mentioned in The New York Times, NPR, The Guardian, The Boston Globe, Reader's Digest, and Harper’s Magazine, and she has appeared on BBC World Service Radio, NPR, and Boston Public Radio.
In the past, she has held content and audience engagement director roles at Adweek, Writer’s Digest, and Ragan Communications & PR Daily.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I ended up giving this 4 stars, but it could've been a 5 star read as I did find it fascinating!
I’ve always loved words and where they come from, so a whole book dedicated to the origins of the names we give plants, animals, and the natural world was right up my street. There were so many moments where I’d read something and immediately want to tell someone else because it was just such a fun fact to know - and actually, I did manage to bring so many tidbits up in conversation!
It's so clear just how much research has clearly gone into this, you can tell it’s a real passion project from the author. It doesn’t just explain where words come from, but also explores how language has changed alongside our understanding of nature, history, and science. I also really appreciated the epilogue, which reflected on how our knowledge of the natural world is constantly evolving, while also serving as a reminder of how many species we’ve already lost.
I think the way the book was structured was really good - rather than being one long alphabetical list, it’s broken down into different environments before exploring the plants, animals, and other natural features found within them, which made it feel much more cohesive.
The only reason this wasn’t a full 5 stars for me is that it’s quite a dense read. It’s very information-heavy and isn’t written in a particularly narrative or story-driven way. Instead, it’s essentially one fact after another, so I think it works much better reading a chapter or two at a time rather than trying to read it all in one go. There were also a couple of words that came up more than once, although it usually made sense because the same roots apply to different words.
Overall though, I absolutely loved learning from this book. If you’re someone who loves etymology or nature, I’d definitely recommend picking this up. Just maybe treat it as a book to dip into and savour instead!
Thank you to John Murray Specialist Non-Fiction and NetGalley for the ARC!
I’ve always loved words and where they come from, so a whole book dedicated to the origins of the names we give plants, animals, and the natural world was right up my street. There were so many moments where I’d read something and immediately want to tell someone else because it was just such a fun fact to know - and actually, I did manage to bring so many tidbits up in conversation!
It's so clear just how much research has clearly gone into this, you can tell it’s a real passion project from the author. It doesn’t just explain where words come from, but also explores how language has changed alongside our understanding of nature, history, and science. I also really appreciated the epilogue, which reflected on how our knowledge of the natural world is constantly evolving, while also serving as a reminder of how many species we’ve already lost.
I think the way the book was structured was really good - rather than being one long alphabetical list, it’s broken down into different environments before exploring the plants, animals, and other natural features found within them, which made it feel much more cohesive.
The only reason this wasn’t a full 5 stars for me is that it’s quite a dense read. It’s very information-heavy and isn’t written in a particularly narrative or story-driven way. Instead, it’s essentially one fact after another, so I think it works much better reading a chapter or two at a time rather than trying to read it all in one go. There were also a couple of words that came up more than once, although it usually made sense because the same roots apply to different words.
Overall though, I absolutely loved learning from this book. If you’re someone who loves etymology or nature, I’d definitely recommend picking this up. Just maybe treat it as a book to dip into and savour instead!
Thank you to John Murray Specialist Non-Fiction and NetGalley for the ARC!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you very much to the author, publisher, and to NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Into the Words is an etymological exploration of nature. It encompasses climates, flora, fauna, and everything in between, detailing the origins of the words we use to describe them.
This book is highly informative. In addition to providing etymologies for all manner of species and natural phenomena, it also contextualises them. Author Jess Zafarris doesn’t shy away from pointing out, quite directly, the colonialist and Eurocentrist influence exerted on natural science. Zafarris honours the knowledge of those whose names weren’t preserved in European studies.
Zafarris also writes with impressive wit, pre-empting the reader’s likely points of contention and humour alike. Even mythical creatures like the phoenix and dragon are given a presence on the page, and rumours/circulated myths are either confirmed or debunked quite clearly.
The illustrations in the book, masterfully drawn by Melissa Faris, are stunning to look at. They complement the pages beautifully. My personal favourite was the depiction of the tundra, which (to my delight) encompassed a full page.
The book also features the contributions of other writers, including Gabrielle Cerberville, Matt Howard, Charlotte Moore-Lambert, Lexi Natoli, Zachary Petit, and Dexter Sorenson. Each of their sections contributes meaningful, valuable additions to the existing information, enriching the book with even more fun facts and wonderful information.
Zafarris’s epilogue fully encompasses the goal we should all share: preservation. Many of these species are known to us, but many are also at risk of extinction. In learning about all the fun, odd, and even roundabout ways we’ve named these species, we can also come to know them and—hopefully—treat them as valuable friends with whom we share our precious planet.
Into the Words is an etymological exploration of nature. It encompasses climates, flora, fauna, and everything in between, detailing the origins of the words we use to describe them.
This book is highly informative. In addition to providing etymologies for all manner of species and natural phenomena, it also contextualises them. Author Jess Zafarris doesn’t shy away from pointing out, quite directly, the colonialist and Eurocentrist influence exerted on natural science. Zafarris honours the knowledge of those whose names weren’t preserved in European studies.
Zafarris also writes with impressive wit, pre-empting the reader’s likely points of contention and humour alike. Even mythical creatures like the phoenix and dragon are given a presence on the page, and rumours/circulated myths are either confirmed or debunked quite clearly.
The illustrations in the book, masterfully drawn by Melissa Faris, are stunning to look at. They complement the pages beautifully. My personal favourite was the depiction of the tundra, which (to my delight) encompassed a full page.
The book also features the contributions of other writers, including Gabrielle Cerberville, Matt Howard, Charlotte Moore-Lambert, Lexi Natoli, Zachary Petit, and Dexter Sorenson. Each of their sections contributes meaningful, valuable additions to the existing information, enriching the book with even more fun facts and wonderful information.
Zafarris’s epilogue fully encompasses the goal we should all share: preservation. Many of these species are known to us, but many are also at risk of extinction. In learning about all the fun, odd, and even roundabout ways we’ve named these species, we can also come to know them and—hopefully—treat them as valuable friends with whom we share our precious planet.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Into the Words explores the language we use to describe the natural world, weaving together etymology, mythology, science, cultural and indigenous histories. It's an ambitious premise, backed by an evident amount of research and passion.
The opening immediately drew me in. The introduction has a conversational style and witty dry humour, but once the main text begins the writing shifts dramatically. Chapters become much denser, with long sections of examples and very little relief. Rather than building on the strongest ideas, I often felt buried beneath them.
That was my main frustration throughout.
The book never quite seemed to decide whether it wanted to be a narrative work of popular non-fiction or a reference text.
It's too exhaustive and densely written to comfortably read cover to cover, yet the organisation didn't feel structured enough for me to use it as a reference either. I was left feeling it sat awkwardly between the two.
I loved the puns, Sound of Music and Star Wars references. But in the denseness of the main text these sometimes turned the train of thought into a Roomba of thought.
That isn't to say the content isn't interesting. I just think a more selective approach would have made the discoveries stand out even more.
I admired this book more than I enjoyed reading it. The premise is excellent and the research is undeniable, but the execution didn't quite work for me.
If you're someone who enjoys dipping into dense linguistic curiosities a few pages at a time, you may well have a different experience. For me, it was a book full of fascinating ideas that I found surprisingly difficult to stay immersed in.
ARC provided via NetGalley. Opinions are my own.
The opening immediately drew me in. The introduction has a conversational style and witty dry humour, but once the main text begins the writing shifts dramatically. Chapters become much denser, with long sections of examples and very little relief. Rather than building on the strongest ideas, I often felt buried beneath them.
That was my main frustration throughout.
The book never quite seemed to decide whether it wanted to be a narrative work of popular non-fiction or a reference text.
It's too exhaustive and densely written to comfortably read cover to cover, yet the organisation didn't feel structured enough for me to use it as a reference either. I was left feeling it sat awkwardly between the two.
I loved the puns, Sound of Music and Star Wars references. But in the denseness of the main text these sometimes turned the train of thought into a Roomba of thought.
That isn't to say the content isn't interesting. I just think a more selective approach would have made the discoveries stand out even more.
I admired this book more than I enjoyed reading it. The premise is excellent and the research is undeniable, but the execution didn't quite work for me.
If you're someone who enjoys dipping into dense linguistic curiosities a few pages at a time, you may well have a different experience. For me, it was a book full of fascinating ideas that I found surprisingly difficult to stay immersed in.
ARC provided via NetGalley. Opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Really excellent, if you love etymology and nature! Jess Zafarris gives the history of so many words, neatly organised in chapters by habitat (the ocean, the jungle, English countryside, rivers...), with sub chapters about different kingdoms and different species. I liked how she explains how naming species (plants or animals) reflects power and colonialism, and how more recently there has been an effort to use local (Indigenous) words when giving a species a Latin name. It was also interesting to read about why some species with controversial names (like the spider named after that German war criminal and dictator...) can't easily be renamed, and I loved learning about the many paths words took, with words changing meaning over time (bunny meant squirrel until the 16th century!) or their assumed obvious origin not being obvious at all (witch Hazel- nothing to do with witches, sadly).
Really entertaining and informative.
Free ARC sent by Netgalley.
Really entertaining and informative.
Free ARC sent by Netgalley.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book! I do enjoy nature and linguistics, so I thought this book would be for me. In a way, it is. The book reads easily, so could even be enjoyed by kids. The facts are fun, and the illustrations as well. Where I had a hard time for this book as an ARC was that it is a book I'd pick up and browse from time to time. Reading it all in one go lessened how much I enjoyed it, because it was just definition after definition.
Still, you can get all kinds of information to impress your friends. The birch tree and the relation to its color, the word 'Hawk' and its relation to a war cry, or how the orangutan is a 'person of the forest.'
All in all, a 3.5 star read rounded up for my assumption that it's just not a book to read all in one go, It would be a great book to have on your shelves at home or in your classroom.
Still, you can get all kinds of information to impress your friends. The birch tree and the relation to its color, the word 'Hawk' and its relation to a war cry, or how the orangutan is a 'person of the forest.'
All in all, a 3.5 star read rounded up for my assumption that it's just not a book to read all in one go, It would be a great book to have on your shelves at home or in your classroom.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Into the Words is a fascinating look at the stories hidden inside the English language. Jess Zafarris explores the origins of familiar words and phrases, showing how history, culture, and human behavior have shaped the way we communicate today. I was surprised by how often a single word led to an unexpected story, making it easy to keep reading "just one more" section.
As someone who has spent my career writing, I found this book especially enjoyable. Language is constantly evolving, and I loved seeing how meanings shift over time while traces of the past remain. This is the kind of book that rewards curiosity and leaves you looking at everyday words a little differently. My sincere thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a free advance review copy.
As someone who has spent my career writing, I found this book especially enjoyable. Language is constantly evolving, and I loved seeing how meanings shift over time while traces of the past remain. This is the kind of book that rewards curiosity and leaves you looking at everyday words a little differently. My sincere thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a free advance review copy.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Into the Words is truly an inspirational book for readers everywhere worrying about how to use the right words, in which contexts to use those words, and how to understand where so many words originated from. While novice readers might initially worry or feel pressure from confronting so many words and encyclopedia-worthy background information, patience and intuition will promptly point out that this book is a marvel and a reason to face the art of modern communication with optimism and enthusiasm! One can only wonder how much research has went into preparing this book, however a slow and methodical perusal through its contents can lead to hours of mirth and enjoyment!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The cover, title, and description drew me in with the promise of exploring the world and the naming of its fascinating animals and places. While the book is informative, it often felt more like an encyclopedia than an adventure. I enjoyed the illustrations that were included and wished there were more throughout the book. The formatting improves in the second half, making it easier to read. Overall, it’s a cute and educational book, but it wasn’t quite the right fit for me.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 - Outstanding
Into the Wild is a joy to read for any word nerd who are green thumbers, animal lovers, and nature seekers. But the history nerd in me also enjoyed the origins of the hows and whys of naming plants and animals back in the day. The book is fascinating, interesting, and informative, but because it has an encyclopedia-esque style layout, I’d recommend leisurely reading it rather than in one or two sittings.
Thanks to Chambers for the eARC via NetGalley.
Into the Wild is a joy to read for any word nerd who are green thumbers, animal lovers, and nature seekers. But the history nerd in me also enjoyed the origins of the hows and whys of naming plants and animals back in the day. The book is fascinating, interesting, and informative, but because it has an encyclopedia-esque style layout, I’d recommend leisurely reading it rather than in one or two sittings.
Thanks to Chambers for the eARC via NetGalley.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
While this read as more textbook language than I prefer, it was very informative and well written.
I can say this isn't a book I would sit down and consume in one or two settings. But it is something that I would keep on my shelf to reflect on and research with.
I'll definitely be adding to my library collection.
I can say this isn't a book I would sit down and consume in one or two settings. But it is something that I would keep on my shelf to reflect on and research with.
I'll definitely be adding to my library collection.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This book is exactly what it says it is....it is all about the origins of words for plants, animals and nature.
I don't think this book was meant for me, but I enjoyed learning interesting facts and history behind the words.
Thank you to NetGalley, Jess Zafarris, and John Murray Specialist Non-Fiction | Chambers. All opinions expressed are fully and uniquely my own.
I don't think this book was meant for me, but I enjoyed learning interesting facts and history behind the words.
Thank you to NetGalley, Jess Zafarris, and John Murray Specialist Non-Fiction | Chambers. All opinions expressed are fully and uniquely my own.
June 23, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley for an early ARC in exchange for a review!
This was engaging and informative and exactly what I was craving when I read the pitch. I learned a lot and have a lot of new fun facts to break out in the future 😆
This was engaging and informative and exactly what I was craving when I read the pitch. I learned a lot and have a lot of new fun facts to break out in the future 😆
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
4.5 stars rtc
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Into the Words: An Etymologist's Field Guide to Plants, Animals, and Nature is neither a general field guide, nor an academic treatise. That's disappointing because it is a topic with so much of potential.
What happens when the author(s) ignore (and trivialize) centuries of scholarship on the scientific classification of plants and animals, and half a century of scholarship on folk (vernacular) names? The result would be a book that is neither a field guide nor an academic treatise. I'm also perplexed how Jess Zafarris becomes the sole author of the book, while there are other ‘contributors’ mentioned inside.
As a researcher studying folk names of plants and animals for over two decades, I was excited to receive this ARC through NetGalley. Within a few pages, I only wished the author and other contributors had done their prior readings well before re-inventing the wheel on folk names. There is plenty of scholarship on the topic analyzing folk names, and unravelling the rich corpus of local knowledge embedded in them—all of it is trivialized or ignored as the author(s) attempt to present etymological backgrounds as if they are their own discoveries.
Thankfully, the book is only a quick read.
What happens when the author(s) ignore (and trivialize) centuries of scholarship on the scientific classification of plants and animals, and half a century of scholarship on folk (vernacular) names? The result would be a book that is neither a field guide nor an academic treatise. I'm also perplexed how Jess Zafarris becomes the sole author of the book, while there are other ‘contributors’ mentioned inside.
As a researcher studying folk names of plants and animals for over two decades, I was excited to receive this ARC through NetGalley. Within a few pages, I only wished the author and other contributors had done their prior readings well before re-inventing the wheel on folk names. There is plenty of scholarship on the topic analyzing folk names, and unravelling the rich corpus of local knowledge embedded in them—all of it is trivialized or ignored as the author(s) attempt to present etymological backgrounds as if they are their own discoveries.
Thankfully, the book is only a quick read.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews