An Etymological Dictionary of Modern EnglishThe compiler of this dictionary of word and phrase origins and history was not only a linguist and a philologist but also a man of culture and wit. When he turned his attention, therefore, to the creation of an etymological dictionary for both specialists and non-specialists, the result was easily the finest such work ever prepared. Weekley's Dictionary is a work of thorough scholarship. It contains one of the largest lists of words and phrases to be found in any singly etymological dictionary — and considerably more material than in the standard concise edition, with fuller quotes and historical discussions. Included are most of the more common words used in English as well as slang, archaic words, such formulas as "I. O. U.," made-up words (such as Carroll's "Jabberwock"), words coined from proper nouns, and so on. In each case, roots in Anglo-Saxon, Old Norse, Greek or Latin, Old and modern French, Anglo-Indian, etc., are identified; in hundreds of cases, especially odd or amusing listings, earliest known usage is mentioned and sense is indicated in quotations from Dickens, Shakespeare, Chaucer, "Piers Plowman," Defoe, O. Henry, Spenser, Byron, Kipling, and so on, and from contemporary newspapers, translations of the Bible, and dozens of foreign-language authors. |
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Common terms and phrases
16 cent ahout Arah archaic association called Celt Chauc cogn coined common compd connected corrupt Cotg Current sense Daily Chron dial Dictionary douhle douhtful drinh earlier Earliest sense early etym Flor Gael Goth hach hare heast heen hefore Hence hetween hind hird hist hlow hnow hnown hooh horse hoth hreah imit irom Jach John langs Late Late L later lihe mahe marh meaning MedL ModF naut neol neut Norw noun ohscure one's orig Origin unhnown Palsg perh Port pres prob proh Prov Purch recorded replaced hy Sanshrit sense cf sense-development Shahs slang speah spec spelling suffix suggests surname synon tahe tahen tahle Teut tion togather Turh unhnown origin Urdu verh Vulg Welsh WGer word worh
Bibliographic information
| Title | An Etymological Dictionary of Modern English Volume 1 of Dover Language Guides |
| Author | Ernest Weekley |
| Publisher | Courier Corporation, 2013 |
| ISBN | 0486122875, 9780486122878 |
| Length | 448 pages |
| Subjects | › › Language Arts & Disciplines / Linguistics / Etymology Reference / Dictionaries |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |