Word Origins: A Classic Exploration of Words and Language

by Wilfred Funk

A noted lexicographer tells the life stories of thousands of words -- how, when, and where they originated, and how their meanings have changed and developed through the centuries. The words are... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0517265745
• ISBN13: 9780517265741
• Release Date: August 1992
• Publisher: Gramercy Books
• Length: 432 Pages
• Weight: 1.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.5" x 6.3" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Words are fascinating!

By Edward G. Schultz, author of "Morgan's Mission", "Christmas Stories For Adults" and "Poems For Those Who Don't Like Poetry". Books about words fascinate me and Mr. Funk has arranged them so as to be easy to correlate. Almost every time I pick up this book, I find a new word origination that I had wondered about. Of course, as a writer, it also helps me to use better terminology and provides synonyms that I might have not reconized. Although there are many books on the origination of words, this one is unique in the manner of correlation of the subjects.

A great basic word etymology for the non-linguist.

I stumbled upon this jewel at the local Rancho Bernardo library. My high school english teacher in India, Mr. F. X. Paul, owned a tattered copy and used to read to us aloud a page or two in his grammar class. It helped relieve our boredom brought upon by trying to memorize grammar rules and sentence parsing. Funk gives you a non-technical discourse on word etymologies. Grouped by categories, and sorted alphabetically, common english words and their history is explained. The write-up on individual words is very interesting and makes for a superb read. I was intrigued by the history and usage of words like barrister and pettition. For a non-linguist like myself this book is a treasure trove of delight. Excellent resource.

History and Words

I love books like this. If you are like me and your reading habits range from the past to the present, then this book would be of interest to you. This book is arranged according to themes, such as politics, religion, history, cooking, scientific names, proper names, and sports. Although the book is by theme, I do prefer a book on this subject to be alphabetical. Some examples: Alimony originates as a term that literally means to Eat Money Tart was a term of endearment Wench was a name for a child

Every Word has a Story

A lot of hard work and passion went into this book, and it shows. Mr. Funk has written a classic book on word origins which is fun for any scrabble lover, scholar, or souled individual. Arranged into topics from business to war to flowers, the author explains the most likely origins behind everyday words and expressions. "Laconic," for example, means brief and blunt. Its origins, more than 2600 years ago, take it back to the Greek Wars. The Laconians, when told by an ambassador that "if we come to your city we will raze the walls and kill everyone." The Laconians reply? "If." Or take the origins of the word "bread." Originally it meant a piece. With time, it came to mean the whole loaf. By reading through "word origins" you will learn that many words were named after people or places. Other words are corruptions of other languages. Some words are simple "borrowed" from other languages. (called "loan words," but who gives them back?) Some other words have origins lost in time. I enjoyed reading "Word Origins" and go back to it, again and again, when I am curious about a word or phrase. If you have any interest in this area, you should enjoy this book. Well done, a good read.

Among the best in its catagory

This book is among the best in its catagory. The author journeys through word stories, taking related groups of words, telling their stories in a way that makes each word come alive.