Word Parts Dictionary: Standard and Reverse Listings of Prefixes, Suffixes, and Combining Forms [Library Binding]

Michael J. Sheehan (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

The purpose of this work, which is meant to be used in conjunction with a standard dictionary and thesaurus, is to help retrieve words only dimly remembered, or [to] lead to specific new words which otherwise might never have been discovered. Sheehan (English, Olive-Harvey Coll.) divides his dictionary into three parts: the Dictionary, which contains the meanings of suffixes, prefixes, combining forms, and roots; the Finder, which lists concepts and word parts that express that concept or meaning; and the Categories, which contain words and their corresponding word parts arranged in clusters of meaning. The Dictionary and the Finder are the most interesting sections. In the Dictionary you learn, for instance, that the base pnig means choke; suffocate (pnigophobia). In the Finder you can look up dry and discover arid-, celo-, cherso-, and -sicc- ; then you can turn to a standard English-language dictionary and find the various words beginning with these prefixes that can be used to convey dry. The Categories section is similar to the Finder but groups the words by 15 categories, e.g., Animals and Shapes. This is a somewhat specialized reference, unlikely to see a lot of use, yet students preparing for the verbal portion of the Graduate Record Exam will find it a treasure trove. Recommended for public libraries where there is an interest and for most academic libraries."Cynthia A. Johnson, Barnard Coll. Lib., New York
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Part one defines word parts. Part two allows the reader to work backward from well-known words to the word parts that express the concepts (for example, skill can be expressed by combining words with -craft, -ship, or techno-). In part three, word parts are organized by categories, such as "Animals," "Colors," and "Fear or Dislike of . . ." RBB
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Library Binding: 235 pages
• Publisher: McFarland & Company (August 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786408197
• ISBN-13: 978-0786408191
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 5.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,018,551 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Michael Sheehan retired in 1994 after teaching English for 26 years in the City Colleges of Chicago. He lives in Leelanau County with his artist wife Dona. In his spare time he is a writer, and he does a weekly guest stint on Tuesday mornings from 9:00-10:00 EST on AM 580, WTCM. The show is called Words to the Wise, and it covers the joys and vicissitudes of the English language. It may be heard in real time on streaming audio anywhere in the world by going to wtcmradio.com and clicking on "Play Now." Podcasts are available 24/7 by signing on to the same URL and selecting "The Ron Jolly Show."

He holds an appointment to the Commission on Services to the Aging (MI); his term ends in 2013. He formerly sat on the Board of Advisors of the Area Agency on Aging of Northwest Michigan, and he is a member of the Bay Area Senior Advocates.

Mike is a member of the Society of Midland Authors, the Dictionary Society of North America, the American Dialect Society, and Michigan Writers. He maintains a language blog at verbmall.blogspot.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars from College & Research Libraries News, February 14, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Word Parts Dictionary: Standard and Reverse Listings of Prefixes, Suffixes, and Combining Forms (Library Binding)

Word Parts Dictionary, by Michael J. Sheehan, will be much appreciated by writers, linguists, and coiners of neologisms. Much of our complex language is made up of word chunks with specific meanings that combine with other fragments to form elegant-sounding compounds--"$10 words," as I once heard them called by someone with a preference for monosyllables. This dictionary defines all known suffixes, prefixes, combining forms, and bases; provides a reverse dictionary of meanings to locate that elusive particle; and groups some of the word parts into categories (animals, food, shapes, etc.). With no trouble at all, the user can formulate a new word for "obsession with pinching buttocks" (pygorrhexophilia), in case one is ever needed. A work of lexicoplastic brilliance. $39.95. McFarland. ISBN 0-7864-0819-7 (1042/C&RL News * December 2000)

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Its ok, August 25, 2006

By 

Brandon Schomberg "Berg" (Minnesota) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Word Parts Dictionary: Standard and Reverse Listings of Prefixes, Suffixes, and Combining Forms (Library Binding)

I thought the book was definitely good at breaking down the words. I bought it to help me study for the GRE. But I found another book that is a lot cheaper and I have been using it more, so I would recommend the book "Dictionary of Word Roots and Combining Forms," by Donald Borror, if you want to study for the GRE.