Hutchinson Dictionary Of Diffi

Reference

John Ayto

Foreign Language Study & Reference

Helicon

With headwords in colour, and quirky character illustrations, this dictionary recounts the absorbing and fascinating history of thousands of words. This new edition takes a fresh look at the cool and curious words we use, and tells the stories of where words come from, whether they are to do with food, the supernatural, fashion, invented words, or words from the 80s, 90s, and noughties. Who ate the first sandwich? Where does abracadabra come from? Would you really be spooked by a zombie? John Ayto, top word expert entertains all ages from eight to eighty with this informative and humorous dictionary.

Oxford School Dictionary of Word Origins

Oxford Childrens Reference

With headwords in colour, and quirky character illustrations, this dictionary recounts the absorbing and fascinating history of thousands of words. This new edition takes a fresh look at the cool and curious words we use, and tells the stories of where words come from, whether they are to do with food, the supernatural, fashion, invented words, or words from the 80s, 90s, and noughties. Who ate the first sandwich? Where does abracadabra come from? Would you really be spooked by a zombie? John Ayto, top word expert entertains all ages from eight to eighty with this informative and humorous dictionary.

Oxford University Press

Good English!

Oxford

Euphemism is the art of avoiding giving offence. It is possible to minimize the obvious by calling someone cuddly or junoesque when they are actually fat; to disguise the actual truth, extermination becomes the less unpleasant ethnic-cleansing; and large-scale redundancies become restructuring. John Ayto's wide-ranging study shows how the apparently laudable aim of avoiding offence can be used often disturbingly for political, economic, business or propaganda purposes. Using both general commentary and dictionary-style entries, Ayto covers specific meanings and usages, as well as general contexts. Spotlighting euphemisms from this and earlier centuries, Ayto explains the huge range of euphemisms used through the ages, and argues that today is indeed the "euphemistic society". John Ayto is the author of the "Longman Register of New Words", the "Oxford Dictionary of Modern Slang" and the "Bloomsbury Dictionary of Word Origins".

Euphemisms: Over 3,000 Ways to Avoid Being Rude or Giving Offence

Encyclopedias & Subject Guides

TRAFALGAR SQUARE +

The average English speaker knows approximately 50,000 words -- almost 25 times more words than there are stars visible in the night sky. The Dictionary of Word Origins uncovers the often surprising connections between words. In more than 8,000 entries, the dictionary reveals the origins of and links between words like beef and cow, secret and crime, flour and pollen, imbecile and bacteria, plankton and complain. Written in a clear and informative style, the Dictionary of Word Origins shows how English today has developed from its Indo-European origins and how diverse influences on the language have intermingled. This highly browsable reference also looks at the many new words and coinages that enter the language every year.

Dictionary of Word Origins

Dictionaries & Thesauruses

Trafalgar Square Publishing

The average English speaker knows 50,000 words in contemporary use - 25 more words than there are stars in the night sky visible to the naked eye. Yet stripped down to its origins, this apparently huge vocabulary is in reality a much smaller number of words from Latin, French and the Germanic languages. It is estimated that every year, 800 neologisms are added to the English language: acronyms - 'yuppie', blended words - 'motel', and those taken from foreign languages - 'savoir-faire'. The Bloomsbury Dictionary of Word Origins provides a concise history of over 8,000 of the most commonly used words. The range of information spans from derivations as simple as 'a' and 'one' from 'an', to historical relations between words which would be obscure to all but the most lexically-minded. For instance 'vice' with its several uses in English - a wickedness, a holding tool - is derived via Old French from two separate Latin words: 'vitium' (defect, offence), and 'vitis' (vine) which gave 'viticulture'. The Bloomsbury Dictionary of Word Origins demonstrates how the diverse influences on English have given rise to some unlikely but fascinating lexical relations. 'Bishop' had no ecclesiastical origins, but was in fact derived from the Greek 'episkopos', meaning 'overseer', and shares origins with 'spy'. In strict etymological terms, a 'dairy' should employ a female kneader of bread. Laid out in an A-Z format with detailed cross references, written in a style that is both authoritative and accessible, the Bloomsbury Dictionary of Word Origins is a valuable historical guide to the English language.

Bloomsbury Dictionary of Word Origins : The Histories of over 8, 000 Words Explained

Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.

With over 8000 entries, and written for the general market, this volume uncovers the often surprising connections between words. Written in a clear and informative style, the dictionary describes the Indo - European origins of English and includes many new words and coinages adopted each year.

Dictionary of Word Origins: The Histories of More Than 8,000 English-Language Words

Arcade Publishing

Uncover the hidden and often surprising connection between words. Written in a clear and informative style, the more than 8,000 articles reveal the origins of and links between some of the most common English-language words. What is the link between map and apron, acrobat and oxygen, zeal and jealousy, flour and pollen, secret and crime? Did you know that crimson originally comes from the name of tiny scale insects, the kermes, from whose dried bodies a red dyestuff is made? That Yankee began as a nickname for Dutchmen? That omelette evolved from amulette, “a thin sheet of metal,” and is a not-too-distant cousin of the word laminate? That jeans find their antecedent in jean fustian, meaning “a cotton fabric from Genoa”? They also contain an extensive selection of words whose life histories are intrinsically fascinating or instructive. This dictionary shows how modern English has developed from its Indo-European roots and how the various influences on the language—from migration and invasion to exploration, trade, technology, and scholarship—have intermingled. It is an invaluable addition to any English or linguistics library.

Business & Money

Personal Finance

The Wordsworth Dictionary of Foreign Words in English

Wordsworth Edition

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Books by John Ayto

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

Hutchinson Dictionary Of Diffi

Oxford School Dictionary of Word Origins

Oxford School Dictionary of Word Origins

Good English!

Euphemisms: Over 3,000 Ways to Avoid Being Rude or Giving Offence

Dictionary of Word Origins

Bloomsbury Dictionary of Word Origins : The Histories of over 8, 000 Words Explained

Dictionary of Word Origins: The Histories of More Than 8,000 English-Language Words

Dictionary of Word Origins: The Histories of More Than 8,000 English-Language Words

The Wordsworth Dictionary of Foreign Words in English