The Private Lives of English Words

By Alexander Humez, Louis G. Heller, Malcah Dror

Book Overview

The words of the English language constitute an incredible heritage, and every word has its own unique history. Originally published in 1984, The Private Lives of English Words tells the fascinating stories behind more than 400 words with a particularly interesting philological history. It describes their diverse origins and the intricate ways in which their meanings and forms have developed through the centuries. Based on the findings of linguistics, discussions of words in the entries are written to interest all lovers of words. In the explanations of how meanings of words have evolved, we find history and fancy, mythology and religion, cultural influences and the manners of society.

All in all, the book is a pleasant and easy-to-use resource for all who are interested in the vocabulary of English.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1041102372
• ISBN13: 9781041102373
• Release Date: September 2025
• Publisher: Routledge
• Length: 368 Pages

Customer Reviews

This book is no longer published by Gale Research. Delete.

The Private Lives of English Words, by Louis G. Heller, Alexander Humez, and Malcah Dror, is published by Verbatim Books 0930454189 Note that the COPYRIGHT DATE (1984) is not the same as the PUBLICATION DATE!! Verbatim Books republished the book in 1999.