(Part 2) Best etymology books according to redditors
We found 112 Reddit comments discussing the best etymology books. We ranked the 57 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the products ranked 21-40. You can also go back to the previous section.
37. Bioscientific Terminology : words from Latin and Greek stems
1 mention
Used Book in Good Condition
Vonnegut, obviously; he's great. In terms of language itself, I recently finished https://www.amazon.ca/Story-English-100-Words/dp/125002420X - it's a small book, basically taking 100 English words and showing how they got here and where they began. Super fascinating!
I used to read a lot of linguistics papers, and I wish I saved the one I found that argued that learning language isn't just hard: it's IMPOSSIBLE. So we don't do it! Instead, we just APPROXIMATE it, a faded incorrect photocopy of the language our parents are speaking, but close enough in the ways that count that we're mutually intelligible. And that explains why language in general and slang in particular evolves so quickly: instead of a 100% copy we got a 95% one, and we're just filling in the blanks ourselves with whatever seems most likely.
https://www.amazon.com/Words-Move-English-Still-Literally/dp/1250143780/
If you like this kind of thing (and speak German), this I can recommend the Atlas der Wahren Namen, an atlas of Europe with all the place names replaced with their original meaning. So instead of “Paris” the map will say “City of Sailors” (one of the alleged original meanings of the city name - but many are disputed, as there are often several different interpretations).
You and /u/Esperantwo (good name by the way) should take a look at this book.
If you're serious about learning the subject, begin with Word Origins... And How We Know Them: Etymology for Everyone, The Oxford Guide to Etymology, and The Secret Life of Words: How English Became English.
If you're looking for a more accessible introduction, however, try Bill Bryson's Mother Tongue: The Story of the English Language.
The book really helped me make sense of certain elements in German.
I started learning Hungarian when Netscape and Usenet ruled the internet, and also wanted to get a better sense of how and why Hungarian differed from the surrounding Indo-European languages. My university's research libraries were a goldmine for me to start figuring this out, and these books helped me not only to look increasingly at Hungarian on its own terms (or compare it to examples in Uralic languages rather than look for parallels in unrelated Indo-European languages), but when I eventually got around to learning Estonian, Finnish and Northern Saami, the knowledge gained from these books helped me to retain vocabulary and make sense of certain typological features in these three languages.
These books really came in handy once I started to learn other Slavonic languages after having studied Polish and Slovak to a useful level.
Nowadays you can get an overview of what I learned from these books on Uralic and Slavonic for free on Wikipedia articles and sometimes Wiktionary and online etymological dictionaries (e.g. Hungarian: Etimólogiai szótár, Russian: Этимологический словарь русского языка )
Paradebeispiel?
Here's your IE root for caleō, etc, though the 'e' at the end should be a laryngeal. So, a totally different root from the cold root, with a different initial consonant.
A good accessible (in price and ease of use) source of (IE) etymology in general is the American Heritage Dictionary of the Indo-European Roots.
For Greek etymology, there's Beekes in English, or the more outdated Frisk and Chantraine. Of course, they're all excessively expensive. If I could find mine right now, I'd let you know what they say.
I'm pretty sure this is just coincidence, though.
I can't say much about English resources on Russian etymology, other than a trivial check in wiktionary.
In Russian, the main source on etymology is Vasmer's Etymological Dictionary. You can google it to find online version that is easier for you to use or you can try searching Starostin's database (this one is a web 1.0 relic, as it often happens with old academic sites and may not look too nice, but is quite functional).
Also, for sources in English, you can try looking for Vladimir Orel's Russian Etymological Dictionary (amazon). Someone mentioned it in a related stackexchange discussion, so I can't really say I can recommend it, as I had no experience with it.
I agree. That's what gives English its character. And it's not just bastardized words from other languages. It's bastardized grammar too. This book is a pretty interesting account of that.
> "from now on, don't refer to me by 'him', instead use 'his utmost almighty holiness", would it be reasonable for me to expect you to call me that?
Just like with non-binary identifying people, coming off as pompous isn't going to get anyone to use your preferred pronoun. For someone that insists on being knowledgable about the English language, you seem to be ignorant of the fact language evolves over time. Here is a book that can introduce you to that concept:
Words On The Move - Amazon
> Language is always changing -- but we tend not to like it. We understand that new words must be created for new things, but the way English is spoken today rubs many of us the wrong way. Whether it’s the use of literally to mean “figuratively” rather than “by the letter,” or the way young people use LOL and like, or business jargon like What’s the ask? -- it often seems as if the language is deteriorating before our eyes.
> But the truth is different and a lot less scary, as John McWhorter shows in this delightful and eye-opening exploration of how English has always been in motion and continues to evolve today. Drawing examples from everyday life and employing a generous helping of humor, he shows that these shifts are a natural process common to all languages, and that we should embrace and appreciate these changes, not condemn them.
> Words on the Move opens our eyes to the surprising backstories to the words and expressions we use every day. Did you know that silly once meant “blessed”? Or that ought was the original past tense of owe? Or that the suffix -ly in adverbs is actually a remnant of the word like? And have you ever wondered why some people from New Orleans sound as if they come from Brooklyn?
> McWhorter encourages us to marvel at the dynamism and resilience of the English language, and his book offers a lively journey through which we discover that words are ever on the move and our lives are all the richer for it.
Enjoy!
This is awesome! I think I've used both (rabble/rebel), but I love history of words and phrases like this. Even have a whole book on it, great coffee table book! Thanks for sharing, and I'll be sure to use the correct wording next time!
Your chapter examples are very specific; the best you can do in book form is English Vocabulary in Use (Advanced).
Otherwise, use the lexical sets in the Macmillan online dictionary. This is the link for spices: https://www.macmillandictionary.com/thesaurus-category/british/herbs-spices-and-condiments
Use some of the official guides to do some self study to get the general strategies down. Then hit up a tutor for some fine tuning. You should also take a practice test to get a baseline score to build on. If you get a 70 on your first test, chances are you'll have to readjust your target. Same goes for if you get a 100. Here are some links:
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Good place to start: https://www.amazon.com/Official-Guide-TOEFL-DVD-ROM-Fifth/dp/1260011216/ref=pd_sbs_14_t_0/134-4344085-6813628?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1260011216&pd_rd_r=d5c7f2ce-0acf-4106-a252-41060a19a392&pd_rd_w=0Gu6V&pd_rd_wg=qvlhS&pf_rd_p=5cfcfe89-300f-47d2-b1ad-a4e27203a02a&pf_rd_r=T5J2YK31X83ZKRHWDYZV&psc=1&refRID=T5J2YK31X83ZKRHWDYZV
An awesome alternative: https://www.cambridge.org/us/cambridgeenglish/catalog/english-academic-purposes/cambridge-preparation-toefl-test-4th-edition
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Practice tests (There's also volume 2): https://www.amazon.com/dp/0071848444/ref=emc_b_5_i
Free stuff: https://magoosh.com/toefl/
I'm reading this book now. Here is the link. https://www.amazon.com/Word-Detective-Evan-Morris/dp/1565122399/ref=sr_1_6?crid=1D02N8IX680AY&keywords=the+word+detective&qid=1565388490&s=books&sprefix=The+Word+Detec%2Caps%2C181&sr=1-6
If you like learning new words, I'm actually reading a book right now called The Story of English in 100 Words. It's a great break from complicated stories (I like that sometimes!), and it's really interesting to see how some words fit together and/or where they came from.
So I have this book from back when I used it in '03:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0742514668
Been trying to figure out how to list it on Amazon, it's practically new in terms of its condition. The kicker though, is an updated version of the book was written in 07':
http://www.amazon.com/The-Greek-Latin-Roots-English/dp/0742547809/ref=dp_ob_title_bk
The new, updated book has twice the Amazon rank that the old one has (866K compared to 1.75Mil). Yet most of the new listings for the old one range in the 80-100 range. WTF? Is this just people throwing prices out hoping someone will find the wrong book/overpricing for an edition that's out of print?
The new book lists for between $25-55. I'm still a noob who's yet to make my first flip. How would you guys approach flipping a near new version of the '03 book? I was thinking $15-20 + SH, but noob status.
Edit: a couple words
I don't have an answer for you, but if you lie etymology, this is a great read: http://www.amazon.com/The-Secret-Life-Words-English/dp/B004KAB5AU/ref=sr_1_sc_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1334869605&sr=8-2-spell
http://www.amazon.com/ESL-Beginner-English-Second-Language/dp/073861100X/ref=sr_1_2?s=mobile-apps&ie=UTF8&qid=1463501752&sr=8-2&keywords=learn+english+for+adults
Might be useful.