- Hardcover: 320 pages
- Publisher: Oxford University Press (April 7 2005)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0195161475
- ISBN-13: 978-0195161472
- Product Dimensions: 21.3 x 14.7 x 3 cm
- Shipping Weight: 386 g
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #384,962 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
Review
"Word Origins is chock full of intriguing, accessible insights into how our language has evolved, mutated and otherwise morphed over thousands of years."--Pulse
"The erudite and winsome Liberman explains his work as an etymologist, which includes historical cases to crack and tall tales to debunk."--Chicago Tribune
"While Anatoly Liberman's study of the English language covers such interesting topics as sound-imitative words, compounds, coinages, and borrowings, it does so in a way that actually manages to be dense and scholarly and tongue-in-cheek and amusing, all at the same time."--Library Media Connection
"Those seriously interested in the origins of our language, who actively want to find out more about the way etymologists work, and who along the way don't mind taking in some sobering guidance on the pitfalls of ferreting out word histories."--World Wide Words
"As a sideline to his long ongoing work on a new etymological dictionary of English, Liberman enlightens general readers...about the challenges faced by etymologists in tracing word origins and evolved meanins. His explanations cover philosophical musings, historical debates in the field, and words imitating sounds."--Reference and Research Book News
"It may sound simple, but etymology -- the study of word origins -- is in fact murky and tedious, if unfailingly fascinating. Liberman's book is an examination of the process of determining how a word originated, and it shows how complex his craft can be."--Chicago Tribune
"The erudite and winsome Liberman explains his work as an etymologist, which includes historical cases to crack and tall tales to debunk."--Chicago Tribune
"While Anatoly Liberman's study of the English language covers such interesting topics as sound-imitative words, compounds, coinages, and borrowings, it does so in a way that actually manages to be dense and scholarly and tongue-in-cheek and amusing, all at the same time."--Library Media Connection
"Those seriously interested in the origins of our language, who actively want to find out more about the way etymologists work, and who along the way don't mind taking in some sobering guidance on the pitfalls of ferreting out word histories."--World Wide Words
"As a sideline to his long ongoing work on a new etymological dictionary of English, Liberman enlightens general readers...about the challenges faced by etymologists in tracing word origins and evolved meanins. His explanations cover philosophical musings, historical debates in the field, and words imitating sounds."--Reference and Research Book News
"It may sound simple, but etymology -- the study of word origins -- is in fact murky and tedious, if unfailingly fascinating. Liberman's book is an examination of the process of determining how a word originated, and it shows how complex his craft can be."--Chicago Tribune
Product Description
Millions of people want to know the origin of the words they use. Word columns in daily newspapers and numerous books attempt to satisfy their curiosity. Word histories are usually digested like pills: the user is interested in getting well, not in the chemistry of the prescribed medication. Those who send letters to the Editor also want a straight answer without bothering about how editors" come by their knowledge. Therefore, they fail to realize that etymologies are seldom definitiveand that the science of etymology is intensely interesting. Perhaps if someone explained to them that, compared to the drama of words, Hamlet is a light farce, they might develop a more informed attitude toward philological research and become students of historical linguistics rather than gullible consumers of journalists' pap."--Anatoly Liberman Word Origins is the only guide to the science and process of etymology for the layperson. This funny, charming, and conversational book not only tells the known origins of hundreds of words, but also shows how their origins were determined. Liberman, an internationally acclaimed etymologist, takes the reader by the hand and explains the many ways that English words can be made, and the many ways in which etymologists try to unearth the origins of words. Part history, part how-to, and completely entertaining, Word Origins invites readers behind the scenes to watch an etymologist at work.
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Perfect !,
By
This review is from: Word Origins... And How We Know Them: Etymology for Everyone (Paperback)
The most complete etymology book I've ever owned...I'm really satisfied with the format and information in this book ! It's pleasant and easy to read.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
3.3 out of 5 stars (6 customer reviews) 20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Discovery rather than Consensus,
By Wiltrud Goldschmidt - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Word Origins... And How We Know Them: Etymology for Everyone (Paperback)
'Etymos/on' means 'true, real' in Greek, and etymologists endeavor to find the true origin of words.
Right away we are on treacherous ground: one man's truth is another man's folly. Etymology deals with discovery, not with consensus, says Liberman. If you take the etymological explanations offered in standard dictionaries at face value (and look no further when it says "origin unknown"), you don't need this book. But let's say you come across a word like 'litter' which can have so many different meanings (scattered rubbish; stretcher; a number of young brought forth by a pig, cat, etc.; straw, hay or the like used as bedding for animals or protection for plants) you can't help wondering how this came about. (Hint: it all goes back to Latin 'lectus'=bed). Some word origins are quite transparent: it is easy to recognize 'day's eye' in 'daisy'. Onomatopoeic words like clap. flap, swish, buzz, etc. require no difficult analysis. But how is the nail on your finger or toe related to the metal object you hit with a hammer? Thus we find ourselves in the thicket of etymological research before we quite know how we got there. How the discipline developed, how it waxed and waned through the centuries and in different countries is a fascinating tale in itself. "Etymology finds its justification in the belief that words are not arbitrary but meaningful combinations of sounds", says the author. After leading us through various decoding efforts - some gratifyingly successful, others disconcertingly inconclusive - he sheds some light on the methods of etymology, and then gives an overview of the Indo-European sound shifts, Grimm's Law, and the nitty-gritty of historical linguistics. But just when we think we are on solid ground again, we are confronted with multiple violations and exceptions to these rules, and certainty once again yields to doubt. A treasure trove of references in different languages is incorporated in the notes; they reflect the fierce battles that have been going on between scholars and rival factions and are definitely worth reading alongside the text. (Some typos are distracting - Greek nu confused with upsilon, misplaced hyphens - but they don't spoil the fun). Liberman has tried to "combine entertainment with instruction", and I think he has succeeded admirably with this book. It does not reek of pedantry, yet manages to sneak in a lot of serious knowledge while maintaining a light, conversational tone. When, at the end, the author invites his readers "to leaf through this book again", you know that you will enjoy it even more the second time around. 10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A Juicy Read, with some Minuses,
By Dick Grune - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Word Origins... And How We Know Them: Etymology for Everyone (Paperback)
This book makes one realize that there are two kinds of etymologies: the one that tries to explain terms like "hackney" and "jack-o-lantern"; and the one that tries to explain terms like "hand" and "bring". The first makes you search through medieval tomes and books about ancient crafts; the second causes one to delve into ablaut series and next to unpronounceable Proto-Indo-European (PIE) words that look more like formulas (which they partly are). The first yields a number of anecdotal and often amusing stories, the second dry-as-dust formal word derivations. The author, although acknowledging the existence of the second, is clearly much more interested in the first; PIE figures only sporadically in the text and does not even occur in the index.
This approach makes the book a juicy read, especially on "funny" English words; the sections on ablaut series etc. lack the same flourish and are mercifully small. Yet even in the juicy part there are quite a number of promising paragraphs that lead nowhere. For example, on page 101 we learn that "Cockney" has an interesting origin, but that origin is never revealed. Much too much to my taste is attributed to sound symbolism (page 212: the b in "to beat" is suggested to be "imitative (echoic)" of the beating action; the argument is that out of 115 synonyms of "beat, strike" about 20 begin with a b) or explained as "baby words" (pig - big - bag for "swollen things"). I think such claims are warranted only when supported by similar phenomena from several non-Indo-European languages. I personally cannot find back any of these sound symbolisms in Hebrew, the only Non-IE language I know well. Latin "capere" (to take), Finnish "kappan" (to seize) and Hebr. "kaf" (hollow hand) may very well be related (and I think they probably are) but I don't hear any sound symbolism in them (page 43). For that matter, Hebr. "khataf" (he grabbed) sounds much more like seizing. The editing is far from perfect; one problem is that the Old-English/Icelandic letter "thorn" (a p with an upward stick like a b) is often printed as a p (f.e. page 83). In summary, the subtitle "Etymology for Everybody" is fully justified, but it is a limited form of etymology. 15 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
thorough, but a little self gratifying,
By ProfJBH "ProfJBH" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Word Origins...And How We Know Them (Hardcover)
The author of this book is highly knowledgeable about the origins of words and attuned to the many misconceptions non-etymologists may have about the subject. However, the authors love of word origins seems to impede his ability to discuss them in a clear and concise fashion. So many words are presented in every chapter - even the titles of the chapters consist of too many words - that the reader looses track of the topic in that particular chapter. Thorough, but could be organized (and edited) a bit better.
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