A gold mine of fascinating word histories! This engaging and informative book reveals the origins of 1,500 words from "abigail" to "zombie, " tracing in terms from the mythology of ancient Greece to the comic strips of the 20th century. This delightful volume will help you discover how a skimpy bathing suit came to be called a "bikini" and what "serendipity" has to do with Horace Walpole.
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Editorial Reviews
About the Author
The Merriam brothers desired a continuity of editorship that would link Noah Webster's efforts with their own editions, so they selected Chauncey A. Goodrich, Webster's son-in-law and literary heir, who had been trained in lexicography by Webster himself, to be their editor in chief. Webster's son William also served as an editor of that first Merriam-Webster dictionary, which was published on September 24, 1847.
Although Webster's work was honored, his big dictionaries had never sold well. The 1828 edition was priced at a whopping $20; in 13 years its 2,500 copies had not sold out. Similarly, the 1841 edition, only slightly more affordable at $15, moved slowly. Assuming that a lower price would increase sales, the Merriams introduced the 1847 edition at $6, and although Webster's heirs initially questioned this move, extraordinary sales that brought them $250,000 in royalties over the ensuing 25 years convinced them that the Merriams' decision had been abundantly sound.
The first Merriam-Webster dictionary was greeted with wide acclaim. President James K. Polk, General Zachary Taylor (hero of the Mexican War and later president himself), 31 U.S. senators, and other prominent people hailed it unreservedly. In 1850 its acceptance as a resource for students began when Massachusetts ordered a copy for every school and New York placed a similar order for 10,000 copies to be used in schools throughout the state. Eventually school use would spread throughout the country. In becoming America's most trusted authority on the English language, Merriam-Webster dictionaries had taken on a role of public responsibility demanded of few other publishing companies.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great browsing!,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Merriam-Webster New Book of Word Histories (Paperback)
Here is a wonderful collection of 1,500 word histories. This book goes beyond the typical etymology by providing the Story behind each of the selected words. Though the scholarship on the etymology of the word is not thorough (no roots, little in the way of derivation, no Indo-European development) the writing is clear, witty and conversational. The best book on the market for under $20 (and a real bargain at Amazon's price). Recommended.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
For word lovers to take a tour of words in a different way,
By
This review is from: The Merriam-Webster New Book of Word Histories (Paperback)
This is not a dictionary, a thesaurus, or a book of formal etymology. So, what is it? Well, it takes the word lover on a tour of approximately 1,500 words. We get to find out not only a definition of the word, but its history. How it came to be. Yes, there is some etymology (study of word origins) in this, but the way a word comes to mean what it does can take surprising turns that its origins do not explain. (Also, within some of these histories, the authors provide words of similar origins and histories, so it really is more than 1,500 words.)
While you can use this book to look up words, there are so relatively few that you will more likely miss more often than you will hit. What the book is really for is to fill a few extra minutes with a tour of something fascinating and to learn something you probably did not know. If you just sit down for hours reading many pages of the book you will actually not remember all the things you should. So, it is better to dip into this book frequently for short periods and think about the few words you read about and commit their history to memory rather than pushing your way through hundreds of pages that will evaporate the moment you close the book. Quite an interesting resource.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Love this one!,
This review is from: The Merriam-Webster New Book of Word Histories (Paperback)
I love this book! As a secretary, I am a word fiend, and have just a few books of this type. The same day I took it to work, someone borrowed it. It is a good one!
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