Description
Lost origins of words revealed. We like to recount that goodbye started out as "god be with you," that whiskey comes from the Gaelic for "water of life," or that avocado originated as the Aztec word for "testicle." But there are many words with origins unknown, disputed, or so buried in old journals that they may as well be lost to the general public. In Origin Uncertain: Unraveling the Mysteries of Etymology, eminent etymologist Anatoly Liberman draws on his professional expertise and etymological database to tell the stories of less understood words such as nerd, fake, ain't, hitchhike, trash, curmudgeon, and quiz, as well as puzzling idioms like kick the bucket and pay through the nose. By casting a net so broadly, the book addresses language history, language usage (including grammar), history (both ancient and modern), religion, superstitions, and material culture. Writing in the spirit of adventure through the annals of word origins, Liberman also shows how historical linguists construct etymologies, how to evaluate competing explanations, and how to pursue further research.
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION: THE WAYS OF WORDS AND WORD HUNTERS CHAPTER 1: WORDS WHOSE ORIGIN HAS BOTHERED YOU FOR YEARS CHAPTER 2: WORDS BIZARRE, MISBEGOTTEN, AND BORN BY MISTAKE CHAPTER 3: IT TAKES ALL SORTS TO MAKE THE WORLD GO ROUND CHAPTER 4: CRABBED AGE LOOKS BACK AT YOUTH AND FEELS AMUSED CHAPTER 5: MARITAL BLISS AND A FEW DIVERSIONS CHAPTER 6: ANATOMY AND THE ART OF CONSUMPTION CHAPTER 7: IN THE AIR, ON THE GROUND, AND IN THE SEA CHAPTER 8: MULTIFAROUS DEVILRY CHAPTER 9: OUR HABITAT AND DISPOSABLE STUFF CHAPTER 10: TOOLS, IMPLEMENTS, AND PROFESSIONS CHAPTER 11: HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY CHAPTER 12: SUSPICIOUS USAGE AND TROUBLESOME PHONETICS CHAPTER 13: A FEW IDIOMS CHAPTER 14: SOME OF OUR GREATS
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