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 xiv
... words as mercurial and the slippery metal mercury ; hermetic is from Hermes Trismegis- tus ( thrice greatest ) , a name applied to the Egyptian god of astrology and magic , supposed inventor of a way of sealing vessels airtight .
... words as mercurial and the slippery metal mercury ; hermetic is from Hermes Trismegis- tus ( thrice greatest ) , a name applied to the Egyptian god of astrology and magic , supposed inventor of a way of sealing vessels airtight .
Page xviii
Here it is , as applied to English . Words that in early times began with one of the sounds listed below , may later have changed to the next sound to the right . Gutturals : g , k , kh ( h ) , g Examples : genus , kin ; choler , gall ...
Here it is , as applied to English . Words that in early times began with one of the sounds listed below , may later have changed to the next sound to the right . Gutturals : g , k , kh ( h ) , g Examples : genus , kin ; choler , gall ...
Page xxii
But the Germanic form , without the s , applied to prickly plants , became English thorn ( originally sounded torn , as a skirt may be ) . Modified again , via Swedish , it gave English turbot , a spiny flatfish .
But the Germanic form , without the s , applied to prickly plants , became English thorn ( originally sounded torn , as a skirt may be ) . Modified again , via Swedish , it gave English turbot , a spiny flatfish .
Page xxx
About 1850 , sports writers , seeking variety of terminology - the viscera being considered the seat of courage - applied the literal term to " the quality of courageous ( heart- ful ) persistence despite difficulty , " and the noun ...
About 1850 , sports writers , seeking variety of terminology - the viscera being considered the seat of courage - applied the literal term to " the quality of courageous ( heart- ful ) persistence despite difficulty , " and the noun ...
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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
Bibliographic information
| Title | The Origins of English Words: A Discursive Dictionary of Indo-European Roots |
| Author | Joseph Twadell Shipley |
| Edition | reprint |
| Publisher | JHU Press, 2001 |
| ISBN | 0801867843, 9780801867842 |
| Length | 672 pages |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |