Words Words Words: Amazon.ca: David Crystal: Books

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Book Description

Publication Date: April 1 2006 | ISBN-10: 0198614446 | ISBN-13: 978-0198614449 | Edition: 1

Words, Words, Words is all about the wonders of words -- what they say about who we are, where we come from, and what we do -- and how they continue to shape our lives. This book is divided into six parts, with a series of mini-chapters or themes of 2,000 words each within each part. Part 1 introduces the subject and explores our abiding fascination with words. Parts 2, 3, and 4, look in turn at all aspects of word histories, word variety, and etymology. Part 5 concentrates on the enjoyment that words provide and the final section invites readers to investigate further by becoming a word detective. Although informative and written by an expert, the text is light on linguistic jargon and is full of real-life examples of our living language -- how it was, how it is, and how it continues to evolve. Special features will be an opportunity to mine words and expressions in depth. The book will aim to encourage all of us to look at what we say, and how we say it, in a new light.

#outer_postBodyPS { display: none; } #psGradient { display: none; } #psPlaceHolder { display: none; } #psExpand { display: none; } Words, Words, Words is all about the wonders of words -- what they say about who we are, where we come from, and what we do -- and how they continue to shape our lives. This book is divided into six parts, with a series of mini-chapters or themes of 2,000 words each within each part. Part 1 introduces the subject and explores our abiding fascination with words. Parts 2, 3, and 4, look in turn at all aspects of word histories, word variety, and etymology. Part 5 concentrates on the enjoyment that words provide and the final section invites readers to investigate further by becoming a word detective. Although informative and written by an expert, the text is light on linguistic jargon and is full of real-life examples of our living language -- how it was, how it is, and how it continues to evolve. Special features will be an opportunity to mine words and expressions in depth. The book will aim to encourage all of us to look at what we say, and how we say it, in a new light.

Product Details

Hardcover: 224 pages
Publisher: Oxford University Press; 1 edition (April 1 2006)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0198614446
ISBN-13: 978-0198614449
Product Dimensions: 2.1 x 13.8 x 18.9 cm
Shipping Weight: 340 g
Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #1,988,456 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #26 in Books > Education & Reference > Dictionaries & Thesauruses > Lexicography

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Product Description

From Publishers Weekly

The latest contribution from prolific linguist Crystal (The Stories of English) offers a cornucopia of interesting takes on "the universe of words." Crystal briefly visits many aspects of language: baby names, place names, how languages change, how to estimate the size of your vocabulary and the interaction between languages. He also touches on the history of words and how language changes with interesting, straightforward explanations that belie the author's enormous knowledge of lexicology, but represent well his intense, personal love for it: "Everyone has their own linguistic story to tell ... this book is part of my story, a cross-section of my lexical autobiography." Witty literary references are sprinkled throughout the book, along with some surprisingly vulgar sections; even the table of contents and the index are fascinating linguistic exercises. Conversational but easy to reference, this text will be useful to any semi-serious practitioner of the English language.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

In 33 chapters, prolific professor Crystal celebrates words, covering their form, meaning, and evolution. Arguing that we are all, in fact, wordsmiths, Crystal makes his point by noting that their own vocabularies are far larger than most people realize. Although most people would guess that they use from 5,000 to 20,000 words, it is unusual to find anyone with an active vocabulary of less than 35,000 words, according to Crystal. He goes on to describe how we learn new words, the creation of dictionaries, the origins of words, and the borrowings from foreign languages (more than 350) that form part of the modern English vocabulary. Other chapters cover spelling, pronunciation, dialect, slang, and word games and wordplay. A final section, "Becoming a Word Detective," is a collection of online and print sources on etymology, among other topics. Crystal covers a lot of ground in short, well-paced chapters that never fail to offer something for word lovers--a 2004 survey, for example, found that mother topped the list of the most beautiful words in the English language. Joanne Wilkinson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Amazon.com: 4.6 out of 5 stars 9 reviews

14 of 18 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining and Inspiring Mar 6 2008

By Soulpatch - Published on Amazon.com

Format:Paperback

PERFECTLY written by an author who knows the language upside down. Crystal takes seemingly boring topics such as etymology, lexicology... and makes them interesting, educative, and entertaining. His writing style is appealing and 'simple' such that anybody can read it without being bogged down.
He has subtle advices for wannabe word-detectives, too. You are assured to be entertained from the very first word... you will love it.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars I Know Feb 28 2010

By William F. Magrogan - Published on Amazon.com

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

... what's in every book in every library in the world: words!
I found this book quite thought-provoking about how we impose word usage based on our perceived "authority" or influence over those writing or speaking them.
And, why we or "they" deliberately create language that rebels.
Overall, Crystal convinces me that we are all a bit richer for it!

16 of 23 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Surprise Sep 21 2007

By Laura Oldenburg - Published on Amazon.com

Format:Paperback

WORDS WORDS WORDS
It was the first time that I have ever read a book by David Crystal. Although I am not an English native speaker I think that Crystal has a straightforward way to write even to those - like me- who are not familiar with language business.
It is a book to read and reread. I recommend.
Laura Oldenburg
Rio de Janeiro- Brazil

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 9 reviews 4.6 out of 5 stars

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Words Words Words [Hardcover]