| Description |
x, 210 pages : illustrations, maps ; 20 cm |
| Summary |
"Did you know that 'aardvark' comes from the South African for 'earth pig'? Or that 'assassin' actually comes from the Arabic for 'smoker of hashish'? This book explains why 'bungalow' comes from Hindi and what exactly 'hello' is short for. It is a guide to the fascinating origins of everyday words." "There are literally tens of thousands of English words with entertaining and engaging stories behind them. Tackling the topic in an anecdotal and yet thorough manner, Fred Sedgwick's Where Words Come From is the etymological dictionary for everyone, a book to inspire wonder, debate and laughter." --Book Jacket |
| Notes |
Formerly CIP. Uk |
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references (pages [208]-210) |
| Subject |
English language -- Etymology -- Dictionaries.
|
| Genre/Form |
Dictionaries.
|
| LC no. |
2009279104 |
| ISBN |
1847062741 (paperback) |
|
9781847062741 (paperback) |
|
