35.1455, Books: Origin Uncertain: Liberman (2024)

[The LINGUIST List]

LINGUIST List: Vol-35-1455. Fri May 10 2024. ISSN: 1069 - 4875.

Subject: 35.1455, Books: Origin Uncertain: Liberman (2024)

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Date: 25-Apr-2024
From: Rachel Havard [Rachel.HAVARD at oup.com]
Subject: Origin Uncertain: Liberman (2024)


Title: Origin Uncertain
Subtitle: Unraveling the Mysteries of Etymology
Publication Year: 2024
Publisher: Oxford University Press
                http://www.oup.com/us

Author: Anatoly Liberman
Hardback: ISBN: 9780197664919 Pages: 344 Price: U.S. $ 29.99
Abstract:

Lost origins of words revealed.

We like to recount that goodbye started out as "god be with you," that
whiskey comes from the Gaelic for "water of life," or that avocado
originated as the Aztec word for "testicle." But there are many words
with origins unknown, disputed, or so buried in old journals that they
may as well be lost to the general public. In Origin Uncertain:
Unraveling the Mysteries of Etymology, eminent etymologist Anatoly
Liberman draws on his professional expertise and etymological database
to tell the stories of less understood words such as nerd, fake,
ain't, hitchhike, trash, curmudgeon, and quiz, as well as puzzling
idioms like kick the bucket and pay through the nose. By casting a net
so broadly, the book addresses language history, language usage
(including grammar), history (both ancient and modern), religion,
superstitions, and material culture.

Writing in the spirit of adventure through the annals of word origins,
Liberman also shows how historical linguists construct etymologies,
how to evaluate competing explanations, and how to pursue further
research.

Linguistic Field(s): Historical Linguistics
                     Lexicography

Written In: English (eng)



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