The Origins of English Words: A Discursive Dictionary of Indo-European RootsThere 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. |
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Page xvii
This , however , often has the effect of lengthening the preceding vowel , as in human , humane ; dam , dame ; them , theme ; kit , kite ; not , note ; cut , cute . We are told that more than half of all English words end in e ...
This , however , often has the effect of lengthening the preceding vowel , as in human , humane ; dam , dame ; them , theme ; kit , kite ; not , note ; cut , cute . We are told that more than half of all English words end in e ...
Page xviii
Don Pedro , urging Balthasar to sing ( act 2 , scene 3 ) , says : Don Pedro : ... if thou wilt hold longer argument , Balthasar : Do it in notes . Note this before my notes ; There's not a note of mine that's worth the noting .
Don Pedro , urging Balthasar to sing ( act 2 , scene 3 ) , says : Don Pedro : ... if thou wilt hold longer argument , Balthasar : Do it in notes . Note this before my notes ; There's not a note of mine that's worth the noting .
Page xix
And the changes continue ; that first consonant , becoming silent , may also be dropped , as early Latin gnotus turned into English note . Within a word , the two letters may be sounded : agnostic , recognize ; one is silent at the end ...
And the changes continue ; that first consonant , becoming silent , may also be dropped , as early Latin gnotus turned into English note . Within a word , the two letters may be sounded : agnostic , recognize ; one is silent at the end ...
Page xxi
In the Minoan Linear A script , used on the island of Crete from 3000 to 1500 B.C. , Cyrus H. Gordon , who deciphered it , asks us to " note that I and r are not differentiated . " The Latin suffix alis : per- taining to , Englished in ...
In the Minoan Linear A script , used on the island of Crete from 3000 to 1500 B.C. , Cyrus H. Gordon , who deciphered it , asks us to " note that I and r are not differentiated . " The Latin suffix alis : per- taining to , Englished in ...
Page xxii
Other initial letters also may be sloughed , as we noticed with gn . And some letters retained in today's spelling may no longer be sounded , though their reten- tion helps us to trace their story . Note the ...
Other initial letters also may be sloughed , as we noticed with gn . And some letters retained in today's spelling may no longer be sounded , though their reten- tion helps us to trace their story . Note the ...
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The Origins of English Words: A Discursive Dictionary of Indo-European Roots Joseph Twadell Shipley No preview available - 2001 |
Common terms and phrases
ancient animal applied bhel bird called caput coined columns comes compounds dheigh dheigh N dheu earlier early earth element ending England English especially figuratively four French frequent genus gher gives Greek hand head hence horse human imitative Italy John King kleu known Latin letters lists literally live Lord meaning meant nebh Note one's onomen originally perhaps person plant play plek Possibly prefix probably Roman root says sense Shakespeare shape song sound speaks stand ster suer term things tree turn ueid usually whence woman words beginning