The Origins of English Words: A Discursive Dictionary of Indo-European Roots [Paperback]

Joseph Twadell Shipley (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0801867843 | ISBN-13: 978-0801867842 | Publication Date: February 15, 2001

There are no direct records of the original Indo-European speech. By comparing the vocabularies of its various descendants, however, it is possible to reconstruct the basic Indo-European roots with considerable confidence. In The Origins of English Words, Shipley catalogues these proposed roots and follows the often devious, always fascinating, process by which some of their offshoots have grown.

Anecdotal, eclectic, and always enthusiastic, The Origins of English Words is a diverting expedition beyond linguistics into literature, history, folklore, anthropology, philosophy, and science.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Hats off to Joseph Shipley.

(William Safire New York Times )

A dictionary as invaluable to the philologist as it is a wellspring of delight for any inquisitive person.

(Perihelion )

A word-loving browser's delight.

(Atlantic Monthly )

The title promises a discursive voyage, and Shipley is as good as his word. He's a scholarly, humorous, rambling fellow, and his 636-page itinerary is filled with the excitement of chance encounters with long-lost cousins in distant lands.

(Newsday )

Not since the late Frank H. Vizetelly has there been an etymologist of the stature and erudition of Joseph T. Shipley, whose 26 books on various aspects of the English language are not only illuminating but a joy to read. Now, with The Origins of English Words, Dr. Shipley has outdone himself.

(West Coast Review of Books )

From the Publisher

"A dictionary as invaluable to the philologist as it is a wellspring of delight for any inquisitive person."—Perihelion

"The title promises a discursive voyage, and Shipley is as good as his word. He's a scholarly, humorous, rambling fellow, and his 636-page itinerary is filled with the excitement of chance encounters with long-lost cousins in distant lands."—Newsday

"Not since the late Frank H. Vizetelly has there been an etymologist of the stature and erudition of Joseph T. Shipley, whose 26 books on various aspects of the English language are not only illuminating but a joy to read. Now, with The Origins of English Words, Dr. Shipley has outdone himself."—West Coast Review of Books

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 672 pages
• Publisher: The Johns Hopkins University Press (February 15, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0801867843
• ISBN-13: 978-0801867842
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.6 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #480,478 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

77 of 78 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely stunning, July 30, 2000

By 

M. J. Smith (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Origins of English Words: A Discursive Dictionary of Indo-European Roots (Hardcover)

Shipley is a scholar who wrote a study of Tolkien's language; his "discursive dictionary" shows the same mix of scholarship and fun. The book itself is organized by Indo-European roots. Shipley does not, however, expect you to know the IE root of an English word off the top of your head - he does provide an English to root index.

Tidbits of information come from an amazingly broad range of topics. For example, speaking of the root plumbum (lead) he mentions that it may come via Iberia because lead was mined in Spain as early as 2000 BC. In the entry on men (for math etc.) we get a quote from Dryden on Bacchus. In short, you get the information you need (the etmology and history of a word) along with fun tidbits.

The only complaint is that the dictionary is too fun ... looking up a word will always turn into an hour long browsing for enjoyment.

66 of 70 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Erudite and entertaining, December 16, 2001

By 

Brian Barratt (Melbourne, Australia) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Origins of English Words: A Discursive Dictionary of Indo-European Roots (Paperback)

Among the 5,000 books in my library, 50 or 60 of them being dictionaries, this is one of the most erudite and entertaining -- a rare combination. The author's knowledge of literature and language is quite remarkable. Apart from being an invaluable serious reference work it is also a wonderful tome for reading in bed (and it's not too heavy!) It is somewhat too complex, too "deep", to buy as a birthday present for an Auntie or Uncle with everyday interests, but it would make a wonderful present for a gifted young nephew or niece who loves to explore and learn about the wondrous riches of our linguistic and literary heritage

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A treasure of a reference book, August 18, 2009

By 

Russell T. Cross "The Word Guy" (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Origins of English Words: A Discursive Dictionary of Indo-European Roots (Paperback)

Although nothing will replace my 20-volume OED as the ultimate reference work for etymological questions, this book comes very close. In one handy volume, it's possible to find lots of language cognates across the Indo-European family and get a real feel for how language can evolve over time and across cultures. Not for everyone but a treasure for word lovers.