Dictionary Of Word Origins

by Linda Flavell, Roger Flavell

Words are the building blocks of language, but their derivations are often stories in themselves. Have you ever wondered why we wear perfume, read magazines , vote for candidates , and speak in jargon ? With entries from accolade to zoo , and including such disparate items as blackmail , fiasco , and rigmarole , this dictionary explains the origins and development of 300 commonly used words. In selecting words for inclusion, Linda and Roger Flavell have chosen those with a story to tell. The result is an enlightening guide to the richness and diversity of the English language, boasting both scholarly accuracy and much to delight the curious browser.

Genres: Nonfiction, Reference, Language, Linguistics, History, Dictionaries

277 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

Reviews

[Daniel Chaikin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was just really well done. I mean, it's an odd kind a thing. There are too few words for this to work as a really usable reference dictionary. So, it must be meant to read it through. But does one really read a dictionary through?

"Odd is a strange word. Its sense 'not even' derives from Old Norse oddi, which means 'point, triangle'..."

The Flavell's selected about 1000(?) words with interesting etymologies, and then include full entries for maybe half of them. They give each headword a little summary of its history. The entries include a simple definition, followed by a few quotations, then a prose etymology, and then brief notes on various related words.

"The Roman sailors coined the adjective opportunus, 'blowing in the direction of the harbour' (from ob-, 'to' and portus, 'harbour') to describe favorable winds with arose at the right time. Soon this particular application broadened to give the general sense of 'seasonable, timely, convenient'."

So, how does one read a dictionary? Well, first, to its credit, it's a nicely designed volume that is pretty to look at and pleasant to hold. It makes you want to read it. I think it is actually designed to be read through. The way I did it was to read a handful of words at a sitting. So it took me a long time. But yet I always found the first word absolutely fascinating. The second word would drag in the quotations a bit. And that is one complaint. The quotations hinder the reading flow...and, as chosen, then don't really add much. But they are not the point.

"The word for a book roll (a scroll) was volumen, a derivative of volvere, 'to roll'. It was borrowed into Middle English by way of Old French volume in the fourteenth century..."

But the overall affect was really terrific. I always looked forward to picking this up for a new word. I would even read this book out loud to my wife, who actually found it this stuff fascinating too. So, I really enjoyed this book in bits and pieces, and I'm sad to have finished it.

[Cait · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book - I enjoy learning where words come from.

Not really the sort of book to be read from beginning to end, better to dip into.

Surprised they couldn't come up with one book beginning with 'X'.

Like the way it is organised with quotes which make use of each word.

[Indah Threez Lestari · Rating 4 out of 5]

65 - 2023

[Bernie4444 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chosen words with a story to tell

I have both the original version with 277 pages and the new addition with 320 pages; so evidently something has been added.

As the book implies it talks about the origins of words. Many times, the origins of words also give them deeper meaning. The origin of words may explain why sometimes they’re spelled so strangely.

All words cannot fit into a single book efficiently so Linda and Roger Flavell show us words that have a story to tell. At first, it seems like an odd selection of things that you should not call people or words that you would know that you don’t usually use. Soon you will have fun going from A to Z and have fun using these words on people with a minuscule vocabulary.

As in a dictionary what’s called the headwords are the main words are in alphabetical order. Other words appear where they are most useful. These other words appear where they are needed most and can be looked up in the index. The front of the book has a small history of words and where they might’ve come from and hence the best way to use this book.

[Sahir D'souza. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! How I ADORE Linda & Roger Flavell! And ALL their books! This one, too! And the essays are fantasic!