Words Words Words [Hardcover]

David Crystal (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0198614446 | ISBN-13: 978-0198614449 | Publication Date: April 12, 2006

"Lexicography is not just an exercise in linguistic accounting," writes preeminent English language scholar David Crystal in this exceptionally lively and erudite little book. "It is a voyage of lexical exploration and discovery."
In Words, Words, Words, Crystal takes readers on a fascinating linguistic adventure, exploring the English language in all its oddity, complexity, and ever-changing beauty. Traveling from word origins and word evolution to wordgangs, wordrisks, wordplay, wordgames and beyond, Crystal shares his immense knowledge of, and equally immense delight in, language. He celebrates new words, old words, words that "snarl" and words that "purr," elegant words and taboo words, plain English words and convoluted gobbledegook, eponyms and antonyms, spoonerisms and malapropisms, and a host of other written and spoken forms and variations.
Words, Words, Words offers invaluable insight on such subjects as


·how to estimate the size of your vocabulary


·the functions of jargon


·when clich�s are necessary


·the value of slang words ("the chief use of slang/is to show you're one of the gang")


·how to create your own "semantic field"


·dialect humor


·how to become a word detective


·how to keep a record of your child's words


·and much more!
With illuminating sidebars featuring everything from common word origins and sample definitions from the dictionaries of Samuel Johnson and Ambrose Bierce to a passage from Finnegan's Wake and the winning entries of The Guardian Text Message Poetry Competition, Words, Words, Words will both satisfy and spark the curiosity of anyone who has ever been intrigued, befuddled, or awed by words and myriad ways we use them.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The latest contribution from prolific linguist Crystal (The Stories of English) offers a cornucopia of interesting takes on "the universe of words." Crystal briefly visits many aspects of language: baby names, place names, how languages change, how to estimate the size of your vocabulary and the interaction between languages. He also touches on the history of words and how language changes with interesting, straightforward explanations that belie the author's enormous knowledge of lexicology, but represent well his intense, personal love for it: "Everyone has their own linguistic story to tell ... this book is part of my story, a cross-section of my lexical autobiography." Witty literary references are sprinkled throughout the book, along with some surprisingly vulgar sections; even the table of contents and the index are fascinating linguistic exercises. Conversational but easy to reference, this text will be useful to any semi-serious practitioner of the English language.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

In 33 chapters, prolific professor Crystal celebrates words, covering their form, meaning, and evolution. Arguing that we are all, in fact, wordsmiths, Crystal makes his point by noting that their own vocabularies are far larger than most people realize. Although most people would guess that they use from 5,000 to 20,000 words, it is unusual to find anyone with an active vocabulary of less than 35,000 words, according to Crystal. He goes on to describe how we learn new words, the creation of dictionaries, the origins of words, and the borrowings from foreign languages (more than 350) that form part of the modern English vocabulary. Other chapters cover spelling, pronunciation, dialect, slang, and word games and wordplay. A final section, "Becoming a Word Detective," is a collection of online and print sources on etymology, among other topics. Crystal covers a lot of ground in short, well-paced chapters that never fail to offer something for word lovers--a 2004 survey, for example, found that mother topped the list of the most beautiful words in the English language. Joanne Wilkinson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (April 12, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0198614446
• ISBN-13: 978-0198614449
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #193,568 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #4 in Books > Education & Reference > Dictionaries & Thesauruses > Lexicography

More About the Author

David Crystal is honorary professor of linguistics at the University of Wales, Bangor. He has written or edited over 100 books and published numerous articles for scholarly, professional, and general readerships, in fields ranging from forensic linguistics and ELT to the liturgy and Shakespeare. His many books include Words, Words, Words (OUP 2006) and The Fight for English (OUP 2006).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining and Inspiring, March 6, 2008

By 

Soulpatch "tentative" (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Words Words Words (Paperback)

PERFECTLY written by an author who knows the language upside down. Crystal takes seemingly boring topics such as etymology, lexicology... and makes them interesting, educative, and entertaining. His writing style is appealing and 'simple' such that anybody can read it without being bogged down.
He has subtle advices for wannabe word-detectives, too. You are assured to be entertained from the very first word... you will love it.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I Know, February 28, 2010

By 

William F. Magrogan "Nutty Professor" (Reston, VA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Words Words Words (Hardcover)

... what's in every book in every library in the world: words!
I found this book quite thought-provoking about how we impose word usage based on our perceived "authority" or influence over those writing or speaking them.
And, why we or "they" deliberately create language that rebels.
Overall, Crystal convinces me that we are all a bit richer for it!

14 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Surprise, September 21, 2007

By 

Laura Oldenburg "Laura" (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Words Words Words (Paperback)

WORDS WORDS WORDS
It was the first time that I have ever read a book by David Crystal. Although I am not an English native speaker I think that Crystal has a straightforward way to write even to those - like me- who are not familiar with language business.
It is a book to read and reread. I recommend.
Laura Oldenburg
Rio de Janeiro- Brazil