Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology: Scholarly and Accessible ― Over 21,000 Word Origins Without Abbreviations or Jargon

by Robert K. Barnhart

"[A] combination of readability with scholarship. . . of exceptional quality." —American Library Association (Reference Books Bulletin) As all lovers of language know, words are the source of our very understanding of ourselves and the world around us. Often, however, our use of language is so automatic that we neglect to consider where those words came from and what they assume. What are the implications, beyond the simple dictionary definitions, of using words such as privilege, hysteria, seminal, and gyp? Browsing through the pages of The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology is like exploring the historical, political, and rhetorical wonderland of our linguistic heritage. We see the evolution of ideas, as root word connections that now seem arbitrary are traced to schools of thought from the past. We also find an opportunity to examine how the sometimes backwards, sometimes hilarious, and sometimes illuminating ideologies built into our language affect our modern thinking. Written in a fresh, accessible style, The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology provides the derivations of over 21,000 English-language words without resorting to the use of abbreviations, symbols, or technical terminology. Drawing on the most current American scholarship, and focusing on the core words in contemporary English, this fascinating book is both a diverting browse and a thinking person's Bible.

Genres: Reference, Language, Nonfiction, Writing

916 pages, Hardcover

First published October 25, 1995

Reviews

[Jenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hands down, without a doubt, one of my all-time favorite books that I own. Yes, that makes me a nerd. No, I don't care. I must run to this book between 5-10 times a day...it's so wonderful. For those who can't afford the OED, but want a beautiful, well-researched and presented history of words, words, words, look no further. I cannot recommend this enough.

[Etienne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yeah I'm that kind of a nerd! Obviously not read cover to cover but I really wanted to review this book because it's so cool! Around 21 ooo words in English. Massive book, this is a dictionary before all, but surprisingly light... weirdly light in fact.... Anyway, I love words, I love book, I love linguistic so etymology was a sure hit for me as well. For those you might not know, etymology is the origin of the word, from which word the actual one diverge and evolve from through out history. I find it fascinating. So this book does that, instead of providing a definition like a casual dictionary it gives you a short history of each word. Great reference book, I find it at a third of the price and I just couldn't resist. I'm glad I bought it, I will browse it for years just to learn nerdy stuff.

[torque · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despite the tome-like quality of this book the history of each word is less than I expected and hoped for. I tend to use the internet rather than this volume. I'm not very to familiar with the origins of the English language, so I was surprised to see so many references to Beowolf.

[James Igoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unlike most etymology dictionaries, its definitions are unabbreviated, informative and easy to read. The paper is a heavy and colored ecru. This is a truly beautiful book!

Please note, that my assessment of the binding - it's stitched on mine - was made for the 1990's version.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was my very first present from glenn ever. i love how, right after we met, we discovered that etymology is one of our common interests.

[Sarah Iozzio · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first stop when I come across a new word, even before I look up the definition.

[C.E. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, I'm a word nerd. But it's nice to know where words come from!

[Chris Leary]

Me and priyanka talk about words a lot so she got me this great book. Recently looked up etymology of "shower" which came from icelandic "skurr"

[Parker]

gift from Gary