A scholar might set out to cure the faults of his predecessors. Some authors had a mission, namely, to prove that all words of English (in my discussion, I will concentrate only on English) derive from Hebrew or Greek, or Gaelic, or Dutch, or a noun meaning "earth." Several such dictionaries bear visible traces of insanity. Later it became customary to summarize other scholars' guesses, all of which were supposed to have equal value. For centuries etymology meant guesswork, and every new dictionary contained numerous conjectures. Early etymologists did not have to justify their efforts, because they addressed a readership that was grateful for any information. Dictionaries: Journal of the Dictionary Society of North America Dictionary Society of North America ĪRTICLES A he obvious purpose of an etymological dictionary is to disclose the origin and history of words. Thus Charnock (1889) states that "modern works on etymology" omit many important words, dismiss many others as being of uncertain origin, offer idle, absurd, or specious etymologies, do not give proper explanations, ignore onomatopoeia, "boycott all etymologies which are not consistent with euphonic change, ignore words shown to have been formed by growth, decay, and inversion," and deal ineptly with words derived from proper names. The word is used in its general sense in a letter of Sir Walter Scott (1796).An Analytic Dictionary of English Etymology An Analytic Dictionary of English EtymologyĪRTICLES A he obvious purpose of an etymological dictionary is to disclose the origin and history of words. Anyone kissing the stone is supposed to become skillful in flattering and coaxing. 1766, Lady Blarny (for Blarney), a smooth-talking flatterer in Goldsmith' s the Vicar of Wakefield, her name being a literary contrivance in allusion to Blarney Stone, a stone in a castle near Cork, Ireland. Sample entry from the Chambers Etymological Dictionary: blarney n.
First published as the Barnhart Etymological Dictionary, the Chambers Dictionary of Etymology offers a unique combination of approachability and authoritativeness in an accessible single-volume format, making it an essential etymological resource for the expert, and a fascinating reference for the general reader. For many years academics, wordsmiths, crossword lovers, and language enthusiasts of all stripes have turned to this celebrated volume as their reference of choice in lexical matters. Over 30,000 detailed entries trace words back to their Proto-Germanic or Indo-European roots, and include words borrowed from other languages, as well as the sources and dates of their first recorded use. Chambers s Etymological Dictionary of the English Language Book Description : Excerpt from Chambers's Etymological Dictionary of the English Language: A New and Thoroughly Revised Edition The Dictionary is intended as a guide in the study and practical use of the English Language and embraces the meanings of Words, their pronunciation, and. This fascinating dictionary explores the development of meaning, spelling, and pronunciation of over 25,000 English words. How are the words ' door' German ' T&Yuml r' and Sanskrit ' dvar' related? When did the word Blarney first appear in print? What' s the linguistic history of the word ' history' ? The Chambers Etymological Dictionary holds all the answers for any person curious about the origins of the words they use, and how these words have changed over time. An important etymological resource for the expert, it is also a useful reference source for the general reader. With over 30,000 entries, Chambers Dictionary of Etymology is a prestigious and scholarly dictionary that explains where English words come from.
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