<p>Where did the words bungalow and assassin derive? What did nice mean in the Middle Ages? How were adder, anger, and umpire originally spelled? The answers can be found in this essential companion to any popular dictionary. <br> With over 17,000 entries, this is the most authoritative and comprehensive guide to word origins available in paperback. Based on The Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, the principal authority on the origin and development of English words, it contains a wealth of information about our language and its history. For example, readers will learn that bungalow originally meant "belonging to Bengal," that assassin comes from the Arabic for "Hashish-eater," and that nice meant "foolish or stupid" in the thirteenth century, "coy or shy" in the fifteenth. And adder, anger, and umpire were originally spelled with an initial "n." These are but a few of the fascinating tidbits found in this dictionary, which is a must for anyone interested in the richness of the English language.<br></p>

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology (Oxford Quick Reference)

Reference

Hoad, T. F.

Dictionaries & Thesauruses

Oxford University Press

This volume combines three reference works, "The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Quotations", "The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs" and "The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Word Origins". The dictionary of quotations has been revised and updated, maintaining extensive coverage of literary and historical quotations. It contains over 9000 quotations from nearly 2000 authors; new appendices have been added on Sayings of the Nineties, Slogans and Popular Misquotations, bringing the dictionary fully up to date. A useful keyword index helps the reader to trace quotations and their authors. The dictionary of proverbs covers sayings from "the more the merrier" to "there's no such thing as a free lunch", with over 1000 of the best-known English proverbs from around the world. For this second edition, many new quotations have been added to illustrate the proverbs, and over 100 proverbs are included for the first time. A new thematic index helps you find proverbs on subjects ranging from bee-keeping to stress. The dictionary of word origins is Based on "The Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology" in a concise edition comprising over 17,000 entries. It contains a wealth of information about our language and its history, including the origins for "assassin" (from the Arabic for hashish-eater), "nice" (which meant foolish or stupid in the 13th century, and coy or shy in the 15th) and "shrapnel" (named after its inventor, General Henry Shrapnel).

The Oxford Library of Words and Phrases: The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs (2nd Edition); The Concise Dictionary of Quotations (Revised 3rd ... The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Word Origins

SIMPSON, John

Partington, Angela

Foreign Language Study & Reference

The Concise Oxford Dictionay of English Etymology

Words, Language & Grammar

Oxford Clarenden Press

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Hoad, T. F.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Hoad, T. F.