Yet in the final analysis any selection from such a vast semantic treasure house (the 5–10 million or so general and technical English words) must be highly subjective. In any case, I’ve tried to make all the selections as accurate and entertaining as possible and tried to use words illustrating all of the many ways words and phrases are born (words deriving from the numerous languages and dialects that have enriched English, echoic words, coined words, slang, words from the names of places, people, animals, occupations, leisure activities, mispronunciations, etc.). His book is, I believe, the longest collection of word and phrase origins in print. I should also thank the scores of readers who have contributed to the book, whose names are often noted in its pages. In closing, many thanks are due to my editors, Jeff Soloway and Anne Savarese. Many fine scholars have contributed unusual words and phrases to this fourth edition, including Professor Masayoshi Yamada, trustee and professor of linguistics at Japan’s Shi- mane University, for his explanations of the numerous forms of “Japanized” English. In any case, while no good tale here is omitted merely because it isn’t 100 percent true, I’ve tried to at the very least include as many plausible theories about the ori- gins of these words as possible. Perhaps I have erred in devoting too much space to fas- cinating but speculative stories about word origins, but I don’t think so, for the wildest of theories often turn out to be correct ones. No word or phrase has been elimi- nated because it might offend someone’s sensibilities, and you will find all the famous four-letter words here (and then some!). dialects, technical words, slang words, sports words, echoic words, coined words, eponymous words, classical words, “war words,” and many other stimulating terms. Foreign sources won’t be ignored in this new fourth edi- tion. people will be doing the same thing again a century from now.
#WARTUNE HALL OF HEROES 8.5 FULL#
The fabulous Oxford English Dictionary, however, still far outdistances any contender in the field, covering some 600,000 words and phrases and taking a full 40 years to produce. N writing, or compiling, this book, I have again tried to include as many new selections as possible, if only to make it one of the most complete American works on the subject (15,000 entries and still counting). You can find Facts On File on the World Wide Web at Text design adapted by Kerry Casey Printed in the United States of America VB BVC 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 This book is printed on acid-free paper and contains 30 percent postconsumer recycled content.Ībbreviations for the Most Frequently Cited Authorities Please call our Special Sales Department in New York at (212) 967-8800 or (800) 322-8755.
PE1689.H47 2008 422'.03-dc22 2007048223 Facts On File books are available at special discounts when purchased in bulk quantities for businesses, associations, institutions, or sales promotions. Title: Encyclopedia of word and phrase origins. An imprint of Infobase Publishing 132 West 31st Street New York NY 10001 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Hendrickson, Robert, 1933– The Facts on File encyclopedia of word and phrase origins / Robert Hendrickson.-4th ed. For information contact: Facts On File, Inc. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher. The Facts On File Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2008 by Robert Hendrickson All rights reserved. WORD AND PHRASE ORIGINS Fourth Edition ROBERT HENDRICKSON
0 kommentar(er)
