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 xi
The Normans were originally from Scandinavia , but during long residence in Normandy had absorbed a dialect of French , itself an outgrowth of " vulgar " Latin ...
The Normans were originally from Scandinavia , but during long residence in Normandy had absorbed a dialect of French , itself an outgrowth of " vulgar " Latin ...
Page xv
The word anthem by itself , however , means a hymn of praise or loyalty , such as the national anthem ; from Greek antiphonos ( a voice against ) , it was originally a song chanted alternately by two choirs .
The word anthem by itself , however , means a hymn of praise or loyalty , such as the national anthem ; from Greek antiphonos ( a voice against ) , it was originally a song chanted alternately by two choirs .
Page xx
From the " gramarye " of medieval witchcraft and alchemy , grammar and glamour ( originally a spell , still the spell of beauty ) are variants of a single word . From amphora came ampulla and ampoule . A peregrine is a pilgrim .
From the " gramarye " of medieval witchcraft and alchemy , grammar and glamour ( originally a spell , still the spell of beauty ) are variants of a single word . From amphora came ampulla and ampoule . A peregrine is a pilgrim .
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 xxxiii
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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 |