The Oxford Guide to Etymology Durkin PhilipPaperback
The Oxford Guide to Etymology Durkin PhilipPaperback This practical introduction to word history investigates every aspect of where words come from and how they change. He considers how such changes…
Specifikacia The Oxford Guide to Etymology Durkin PhilipPaperback
The Oxford Guide to Etymology Durkin PhilipPaperback
This practical introduction to word history investigates every aspect of where words come from and how they change. He considers how such changes can be part of wider linguistic processes, or be influenced by a complex mixture of social and cultural factors. Philip Durkin, chief etymologist of the Oxford English Dictionary, shows how different types of evidence can shed light on the myriad ways in which words change in form and meaning.
Dr Durkin investigates folk etymology and other changes which words undergo in everyday use. He illustrates every point with a wide range of fascinating examples. He shows how language families are established, how words in different languages can have a common ancester, and the ways in which the latter can be distinguished from words introduced through language contact.
He examines the etymologies of the names of people and places. His focus is on English but he draws many examples from languages such as French, German, and Latin which cast light on the pre-histories of English words. The Oxford Guide to Etymology is reliable, readable, instructive, and enjoyable.Everyone interested in the history of words will value this account of an endlessly fascinating subject.