Semantic Antics: How and Why Words Change Meaning"My favorite popular word book of the year" -William Safire, NY Times 6/22/2008 A fun, new approach to examining etymology! Many common English words started out with an entirely different meaning than the one we know today. For example: The word adamant came into English around 855 C.E. as a synonym for 'diamond,' very different from today's meaning of the word: "utterly unyielding in attitude or opinion." Before the year 1200, the word silly meant "blessed," and was derived from Old English saelig, meaning "happy." This word went through several incarnations before adopting today's meaning: "stupid or foolish." In Semantic Antics, lexicographer Sol Steinmetz takes readers on an in-depth, fascinating journey to learn how hundreds of words have evolved from their first meaning to the meanings used today. |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
adjective American animal appeared applied became Bible borrowed from French borrowed from Latin borrowed from Middle borrowed from Old borrowed through Old called Canterbury Tales change in meaning Chaucer cloth common crafty current meaning current sense derived developed from Old e F.f G early especially Etymology example F.f G Fif G figurative meaning fulsome gamut Greek Henry humor J.j K J₁j Jij K John John Dryden junk King Late Latin lewd meaning was extended meant originally measly Medieval Latin Middle English Middle French modern moral noun novel nude Old English Old French Old High German Old Norse Oxford P.p Q pejoration person phrase play poem poet prayer recorded referring religious sentence Shakespeare source of English speech spelled synonyms T₁t things Thomas tion translation usage verb vulgar wallop woman word meant word was borrowed word's meaning word's original meaning writing wrote zany