The Origins of English Words: A Discursive Dictionary of Indo-European Roots

Joseph Twadell Shipley

JHU Press, Feb 15, 2001 - Language Arts & Disciplines - 672 pages

There are no direct records of the original Indo-European speech. By comparing the vocabularies of its various descendants, however, it is possible to reconstruct the basic Indo-European roots with considerable confidence. In The Origins of English Words, Shipley catalogues these proposed roots and follows the often devious, always fascinating, process by which some of their offshoots have grown.

Anecdotal, eclectic, and always enthusiastic, The Origins of English Words is a diverting expedition beyond linguistics into literature, history, folklore, anthropology, philosophy, and science.

What people are saying

Review: The Origins of English Words: A Discursive Dictionary of Indo-European Roots

User Review  - Ben - Goodreads

The best English dictionary I've read. Period. I was surprised by quite a few entries -- words have interesting histories, don't they? If you are into linguistics or you wish to become a wordsmith of the first rank, this is a must.

Review: The Origins of English Words: A Discursive Dictionary of Indo-European Roots

User Review  - Liz Wager - Goodreads

Quite simply the most entertaining dictionary you will ever come across. Packed with gems of quotations and learned etymology but with the lightest of touches and some quite ribald humour.

About the author

Joseph Twadell Shipley is the author of the highly acclaimed In Praise of English as well as twenty-six other books, including The Quest for Literature, Dictionary of Word Origins, and Dictionary of Early English. In a long and distinguished career he was president of the New York Drama Critics Circle, was a founder of Yeshiva College, and taught at the City College of New York.

Bibliographic information

• Title: The Origins of English Words: A Discursive Dictionary of Indo-European Roots; The Origins of English Words
• Author: Joseph Twadell Shipley
• Edition: reprint
• Publisher: JHU Press, 2001
• ISBN: 0801867843, 9780801867842
• Length: 672 pages
• Subjects: Language Arts & Disciplines / Linguistics / Etymology; Language Arts & Disciplines / Linguistics / General