The New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary (2 Vol. Set; Thumb Indexed Edition)

Book Description

For the past sixty-five years, the massive Oxford English Dictionary has offered the last word on the English language. Now, Oxford University Press is pleased to announce a landmark new dictionary--The New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary--that brings the authority of the Oxford Dictionary
Department and the vast scholarship of the OED itself within the reach of individuals.
This completely new dictionary covers virtually every word or phrase in use in English--worldwide--since 1700. Not strictly an abridgment of the OED, the New Shorter draws on the OED's ongoing revision as well as its own independent research program. Each entry provides all the information you
would expect from a leading unabridged dictionary: it identifies each word's various meanings, origins, part of speech, pronunciation (in the International Phonetic Alphabet), and combinations in which the word is often found, as well as cross-references to related words. The New Shorter, however,
offers something that no competitor can match: the historical, literary approach made justly famous by the OED. Thousands upon thousands of changing meanings are followed through history, illustrated by more than 83,000 quotations, from Ben Franklin to Lord Byron, from Jane Austen to Kazuo
Ishiguro. The changing emphasis in the meaning of fiend, for instance, is shown by quotes ranging from Milton ("The Gates...belching outrageous flame...since the Fiend pass'd through") to J.D. Salinger ("Old Brossard was a bridge fiend, and he started looking around the dorm for a game").
The historical approach of The New Shorter offers a true feel for our rich, subtly textured language. Words are a palimpsest: along with their current meanings, many words contain the shadows of their past definitions. Understanding a word's history can help writers and speakers charge their
language with nuance as well as precision. The New Shorter offers a delightful introduction to the fruits of etymology, providing a fascinating guide to the evolution of language--for both scholars and those who need a practical aid to contemporary usage.
In addition, The New Shorter offers truly international--and up-to-date--coverage. Every year, the Oxford Dictionary Department receives more than 200,000 notices of new words and meanings. These notices come from the United States, Great Britain, Australia, Canada, South Africa,
India--everywhere English is spoken. As a result, this two-volume work boasts an unprecedented range of headwords and meanings, drawn from the arts and humanities as well as the sciences and technology. From molecular biology to computer software, from human anthropology to theoretical physics, the
subjects covered in this dictionary make it a useful resource for scientific professionals--and for the unscientific struggling with technical terms.
The result is the world's most comprehensive, thorough, up-to-date dictionary of English. A fascinating and endlessly browsable reference, The New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary provides the definitive resource for scholars, professionals, general readers--for anyone, in fact, who wants
the wealth of language available only in an unabridged dictionary.
FEATURES:

The immense scholarship of the Oxford English Dictionary-- Brought within reach of everyone:
* 2 Volumes
* 500,000 definitions
* 7.5 million words
* 4,000 pages
* 97,600 headwords
* 25,250 variant spellings
* 87,400 illustrative quotations
* 7,333 sources of quotations
(including 5,519 individual authors)

Combines information from the OED with the work of a massive research project, offering thousands of fresh entries and new definitions

Up-to-the-minute coverage of English--reaching back to 1700--with thousands of new words from a worldwide monitoring program

Thorough, completely current scientific coverage

Traces the etymology and evolution of thousands of worlds (candidate, for instance, stems from a Latin word meaning "clothed un white," as Roman candidates for public office dressed in white togas)

A two convenient volumes, with full-size type

Customer Reviews:

Look it up!.......2006-09-04

While finishing up a PhD at Cambridge and preparing to move back to my country of origin, one of the small but solid griefs of that process was saying goodbye to the familiar Oxford English Dictionary, whose massive volumes lay 13 steps to the right of my desk in Cambridge's Tyndale House Library. In the three and a half years before that parting, I must have worn a rut in the carpeting during my frequent and satisfying sallies to the OED for help, rescue, and - occasionally - delightful surprise.

Most of us can't have the OED that close to our respective elbows. No matter, we can still do very well. The answer lies in the New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary.

There's no better recourse for English-language wordsmiths, and I don't mean only those who speak the Queen's English, or aspire to do so.

From its phonetic pronunciation guides to its fabulous etymological material and on to the definition of the chosen word in diverse dialects and contexts, the shorter OED is simply unparalleled. This is one of those rare moments when a reviewer can actually ask rhetorically, 'Why would you want to look anywhere else?'

Why?

The last desktop dictionary you will ever need........2002-12-24

This edition lives up to its larger predicessor. The New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary claims to have every word in use since the eighteenth century. While I doubt it tp be that complete, I have never failed to find an entry. Like all of the Oxford series, this Shorter Dictionary includes notes on usage, other forms, and for certain words lengthy examples from prominent literary works for the time. This is definitely not a quick reference book, although its two 1500-page volumes are more convenient than the full version.

If you are frustrated by college dictionaries or the childrens dictionary you got for your tenth birthday, I would consider this book. It was well worth the considerable price to me.

Stop playing around..........2002-10-25

...and get yourself a real dictionary. A practical, affordable alternative to the 20 volume Oxford, it has 98% of the day-to-day utility in 1/10 the bulk and cost. Only after some use will you fully appreciate the superiority of the ultra-concise definitions (not just synonyms!), etymology (including early/original use) and usage tips. If you love the English language and want to use it both correctly and subtly, this is an exceptional aid. Beware, however, of the tendency to lose yourself in its pages!

Amazing piece of work.......2001-11-10

This is the Oxford English that you can hold in one hand... well, just barely. On your desk, this gives you enough to work through almost any work in English at all, without having to reach for a whole bookshelf of dictionaries or a magnifying glass.

Although I hope one day to obtain a complete OED someday, when I do, this will retain its cherished spot on the shelf right next to my desk for easy reference. A joy.

The best dictionary for all.......2001-10-20

I'm a mature student of linguistics and English with seven English dictionaries, including two copies of this works earlier edition, a smaller Oxford, a large Webster's and a facsimile edition of Jonson's original dictionary. This dictionary is the one that gets used the most.

For many years I swore by the earlier edition and this new one improves it with a newer selection of words and the thumb indexes for each letter making it a little quicker to find the word you need.

For a student of lexicography this dictionary is unmistakably an Oxford while moving towards a more modern world. While the pronunciation is the good old southern received from the original OED they have moved to the International Phonetic Alphabet from the one developed for the first OED. The layout and typeface for entries are still the same; easily read and well laid out. They keep the same marvelous information regarding derivation of a word but replace a definitive date for earliest use with a symbol that places it in the first second or final third of a century, probably more honest anyway. Like the earlier Shorter Oxford most entries also have usage examples for the word, many offer a usage for each sense of the headword.

While the word choice among the 100,000 or so headwords in these two volumes has some holes they are not large at all and mostly confined to more particular areas that border on jargon or industry specific terms. Like some other reviewers I can bemoan the absence of words in my particular topics of interest but there is no point, almost all people will never notice their absence.

For most of the English speaking world this is the dictionary that all high school and university students should own, the perfect answer for most of us who cannot afford or house the definitive Oxford English Dictionary. OK, it may be fairly costly but a dictionary this good is purchased once a lifetime and one this large will not be lost at school or be left at the bus stop. My family has had an earlier edition for thirty years.

Argument can perhaps be made that within the US, with its more Elizabethan spelling, a home grown dictionary such as Webster's should perhaps be recommended, since the Shorter Oxford lists US spellings and notes where they are the prevalent US spelling I would disagree.

Book Description

A completely new type of dictionary that will help students write and speak natural-sounding English.

Customer Reviews:

collocations.......2007-09-25

I'm an English teacher in Mexico. I've found this dictionary very helpful to teach vocabulary

Insufficient words, maybe good for foreigners or beginners........2006-03-24

First of all, I only had a vague idea what the book was about. Once, I got the book, my opionion of it was not so fantastic as other reviewers had put it. It does do what it says by showing example sentences of how to use the words with other words, mostly by adding adverbs or adjectives in front of the subject word. The 'dictionary' has very few definitions. Only when multiple meanings exist, it defines it, making it real cumbersome if you do not know the definition. But, that occurs only seldomly, because, there are only 9000 words in the book. So most of the words are familiar words. (Elementary level dictionary contains at least 50,000 words.)

I would presume this book would be ideal for foreign students who have learned english vocabularies, but, do not know how to use them due to lack of experience in usage. Or, it would be a possible companion for someone who is writing at a beginner's level.

oxford collocations.......2005-10-11

If you want to improve your english you have to buy this book.

Very helpful.......2005-08-21

I am in a written translation course and this book has been very helpful when translating from Spanish into English.

This is a gem!.......2004-08-23

As a librarian, I have looked for a good dictionary of English collocations for years. Unfortunately, there are few titles available on OCLC and the Internet. Moreover they are either prohibitively expensive or not very helpful. Unlike all other dictionaries of this kind, however, Oxford Collocations Dictionary for Students of English is truly outstanding for its completeness of coverage, page layout, information on usage, and surprisingly low cost. I wish to say that in addition to its other great features, this dictionary does a great job of helping its readers improve writing. I believe my investment in this dictionary is an extremely rewarding one.

My sincere thanks to Editor Diana Lea for this much-needed dictionary.

Oxford English Dictionary Additions Series, Vol. 2

Average customer rating:

OED 20Vol Dictionary
OED
The ONLY English Dictionary
A great pleasure and a great bargain
...still pondering which to get

Oxford English Dictionary Additions Series, Vol. 2

Manufacturer: Oxford University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

English (All) | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books

English (British) | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books

Etymology | Words & Language | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Foreign Languages | Reference | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Fiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Literature & Fiction | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Reference | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0198612990

Amazon.com

The Oxford English Dictionary has long been considered the ultimate reference work in English lexicography. Compiled by the legendary editor James Murray and a staff of brilliant philologists and lexicographers (not to mention one homicidal maniac), the OED was originally conceived in 1857 as a four-volume set, but by the time the last volume was published in 1928, it had swelled to 10 volumes containing over 400,000 entries. In the years since, the staff of the OED has continued to keep pace with our ever-evolving language, and today the dictionary weighs in at a whopping 20 volumes. The great joy of this dictionary lies in its extensive cross-references and word etymologies, which can run a full page or more. These features not only make the OED the most comprehensive and authoritative dictionary of the English language, but a delight to browse.

Book Description

The 20-volume Oxford English Dictionary is the accepted authority on the evolution of the English language over the last millennium. It traces the usage of words through 2.4 million quotations from a wide range of international English language sources. The OED has a unique historical focus. Accompanying each definition is a chronologically arranged group of quotations that trace the usage of words, and show the contexts in which they can be used. The quotations are drawn from a huge variety of sources worldwide - literary, scholarly, technical, and popular - and represent authors as disparate as Geoffrey Chaucer and Erica Jong, William Shakespeare, Charles Darwin and Isabella Beeton. Other features distinguishing the entries in the Dictionary are authoritative definitions; detailed information on pronunciation using the International Phonetic Alphabet; listings of variant spellings used throughout each word's history; extensive treatment of etymology; and details of area of usage and of any regional characteristics. Alongside the print edition is the Oxford English Dictionary Online (www.oed.com). Updated quarterly, this award winning online resource allows the Dictionary to evolve with the English language while the print edition remains as a historical record. Subscriptions are available to OED Online on an individual or institutional basis. Visit www.oup.com/online/oed/ for details. Buy the OED on CD-ROM and PRINT EDITION together and save 50% Standard price L1100.

Customer Reviews:

OED 20Vol Dictionary.......2007-09-27

Product in mint condition. The five cartons arrived within the specified time limits for shipping. Unfortunately, four of the five cartons arrived within three days of purchase and the fifth carton two weeks later, which caused anxiety!

I would recommend the vendor highly.
PeterC

OED.......2007-02-11

Having the OED on my bookshelf is a dream come true. Yes, it is expensive, but for anyone who loves words, the 20-volume set is like having 20 new friends who understand your deep love for the language. The pages almost read like a novel with the intriguing word histories and literary quotes that are both contemporary and ancient. Also knowing the history of the OED as described in Simon Winchester's books, makes the owning of this superb collection a profound privilege. Understanding the blood, sweat, and tears that went into this massive undertaking, puts the high cost, in my mind, into a perspective of, "This is an unbelievable bargain!" Putting a retail value on this hallmark seems nearly crass as the pleasure of perusing page after page is priceless. I received my set as a gift, which will give back not only for my lifetime, but also for my children and grandchildren's lifetimes, as I plan to leave them the OED, chocked randomly full of special writings, letters, poems, and dollar bills. If you or someone you love has wanted the OED but hesitated because of cost, consider it a family investment that will return value in countless ways for generations to come.

The ONLY English Dictionary.......2007-01-13

If you are a student of the English language, a writer, an avid reader, or simply wish to build your vocabulary in as efficient and complete a manner as possible, this is the ONLY dictionary worth owning.

Why? Well, it's a function of passion. If you really love the language, there is no other dictionary what even comes close. Certainly, any Webster's or American Heritage will likely suit most of your purposes (and electronic Franklin dictionaries are very good for readers wanting quick definitions); but the OED is utterly comprehensive. Many words have page-long definitions and every entry has a complete etymology (or rather, as complete an etymology as possible for any given entry). Any dispute on the topic of English can be authoritatively resolved, and this only with this set.

I purchased mine recently, new, for 630 dollars American. I felt this to be an exceedingly good deal, and -- while surely you can find it for less now -- I would not hesitate to buy it again. Luckily, I won't need to, for the books are quality-made and hardbound to last a lifetime (with careful use, of course). The reason the set can be had for so little (MSRP was 1750 right up 'til November 2006) is that a new edition is slated for release soon. This, for potential buyers, is a good thing. The differences between this 1989 edition and the upcoming third version are sure to be trivial to the average English enthusiast, for they will be mostly medical and technological. And the price drop of '89's makes it the obvious buy even after the next edition surfaces.

And if you can read two volumes a year with even 5 percent recall (over ten years), you will have one of the largest single vocabularies any human has ever achieved. The average person has readily available a vocabular of only between 7500 and 9000 words. The set's got 800,000-plus. Perhaps over a million...

As I always say, the only thing that can make you a better writer is knowing more words.

A great pleasure and a great bargain.......2007-01-06

You really should own this 20-volume OED. The lovely printing makes for a wondrous browsing experience. (Don't even consider the nasty "compact" edition.) In the early 1990s, just after publication, this same set of books cost over $2,500. At the current price ($35 per huge hardbound volume), it is a great bargain and a perfect gift, even to yourself. Along with these twenty volumes, order a copy of K. M. Elisabeth Murray, Caught in the Web of Words: James A. H. Murray and the Oxford English Dictionary (Yale, 1977, paper 1979), about how the original OED was made. There will not be a new paper edition anytime soon, and this one is more than adequate. By the time any newer edition appears, you will only be accessing it electronically. Don't miss the experience of the paper OED 2, if you have space for the volumes.

...still pondering which to get.......2005-07-31

I currently have the 2 volume thumb indexed Shorter Oxford English Dictionary and although it has one third of definitions that the 20 volume set has it does seem to cover most words that you will encounter. I would like to get the full 20 volume version though and not because it covers so many more words since most of these are obsolete anyway. The reason I would like to get the full version is that the Shorter version has far fewer literary quotes than the 20 volume version. One reviewer here, from Zurich I believe, said what a bargain the shorter version is and went on to say how it is one third the size. Not exactly; because of the abrigement of the literary references it actually is about one tenth the size. If the literary quotes are of little or no importance to you the Shorter version probably is the way to go. Myself I find these quotes and their way of showing how the word has been used through the years unbelievably fascinating and one of the reasons I'd want to get this dictionary. The Shorter version has 83,500 literary quotations and the 20 volume version has 2 and a half million! So it would not be accurate to say that the Shorter version has one third the contents of the larger; words defined but not content.
Beyond that I now have to decide which version of the 20 volume to get. I wish to be able to actually see a copy of the Compact version to see if I'll find it impossible to read, with the magnifying glass, or not. One reviewer on amazon's UK page said he used 2 magnifying glasses; the one that sits on the page and then another that he holds above that. I thought it interesting that, although on the UK page, he gave his address as a state prison here in the US. Anyway, that's one idea. The cd rom version seems to have some problems with the protection software so I'm not sure about that for that and other reasons as well, ability to browse for another. The full 20 volume set is really more than I have any business spending so I'm thinking the Compact may be the answer. Now I have to have a look at it and see if I would be one of the people for whom it works or one of those who can't deal with the small print no matter how many magnifying glasses they use!

Oxford English Dictionary Additions Series: Volume III (Oxford English Dictionary Additions)

Average customer rating:

Oxford English Dictionary Additions Series: Volume III (Oxford English Dictionary Additions)

Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

English (All) | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books

English (British) | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books

Etymology | Words & Language | Reference | Subjects | Books

Reference | Words & Language | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Foreign Languages | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Reference Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Arts & Photography | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Reference | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0198600275

Book Description

Volume 3 contains 3,000 new words and meanings from around the English-speaking world, including the UK (council tax, Estuary English), North America (affluential, bully pulpit, road-kill), the Caribbean (merino, zouk), Australia (amphometer, beardie), New Zealand (Labour weekend, mokopuna), India (garam masala), the Pacific (arjun), and South Africa (kalkoentjie, Malanite). Subjects covered include politics (linkage, Citizen's Charter), education (National Curriculum), cookery (ciabatta, Quorn), broadcasting (bi-media), literary criticism (post-structuralism), music (bhangra, swingbeat, techno), and sport (basho, clean and jerk, matchup). This volume also features a higher number of entries in scientific fields, including medicine (lentivirus), genetics (antisense), ecology (biodiversity), astronomy (dark matter), chemistry (Orimulsion), and computing (freeware, cyberspace).

Oxford English Dictionary Additions Series, Vol. 1

Average customer rating:

Oxford English Dictionary Additions Series, Vol. 1

Manufacturer: Oxford University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

English (All) | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books

English (British) | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books

Etymology | Words & Language | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Words & Language | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Foreign Languages | Reference | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Reference Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Reference | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0198612923

Book Description

This is the first of three volumes in a major series supplementing the acclaimed Second Edition of the Oxford English Dictionary. Each volume contains 3,000 new words and meanings presented in the style of the OED. representing a variety of work-in-progress from across the alphabetical range, covering words and meanings that have recently entered the language as well as the results of further research on items already included. With over 12,000 illustrative quotations showing the evolution of each word or meaning, these volumes are not only testimony to the continual development of our living language, but also a compelling browse. Words from around the world: Britain: assisted place, steaming North America: metroplex, statie Australia: boatie, rego New Zealand: patete, spiker South Africa: Broederbond, patha patha Caribbean: ping-wing, Ras Wide coverage of subjects: Politics: Broad Left Medicine: burstectomy Broadcasting: squarial Computing: Unix Natural History: nectarivore Literature: narratology Science: quasicrystal, bijection Ecology: biohazardous Sport: bases-loaded, forkball New loan-words: shuriken (Japanese) Shoah (Hebrew) pisteur (French) norteamericano (Spanish) Details of first appearance: best boy (1937) Pasionara (1969) prodrug (1968) muesli belt (1981) sous vide (1986.

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology (Oxford Paperback Reference)

Average customer rating:

Perfect for the nonscholar
Great, portable and does the job
A Little Too Concise to be Useful
There are better Etymologies Available

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology (Oxford Paperback Reference)

Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

English (All) | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books

Etymology | Words & Language | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Words & Language | Reference | Subjects | Books

Linguistics | Words & Language | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Foreign Languages | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Medicine | Subjects | Books

Family & General Practice | Specialties | Medicine | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0192830988

Book Description

Where did the words bungalow and assassin derive? What did nice mean in the Middle Ages? How were adder, anger, and umpire originally spelt? The answers can be found in this essential companion to any popular dictionary. With over 17,000 entries, this is the most authoritative and comprehensive guide to word origins available in paperback. Based on The Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, the principal authority on the origin and development of English words, it contains a wealth of information about our language and its history.

Customer Reviews:

Perfect for the nonscholar.......2004-02-15

I agree with the earlier reviewers that this isn't the most thorough etymological dictionary available. But let's face it: most of us don't need weightier and more expensive resources than this one. In the ten years that I've owned the ODEE, I've used it hundreds of times, and only occasionally have I found it wanting. As someone who does a good bit of scriptural exegesis, I generally turn to the ODEE before dragging out the Greek lexicon or Latin dictionary. It can usually point me in the direction I need to go. A wonderful resource that should be on the shelf of anyone who loves books and words, especially since our fastfood culture has bred so much forgetfulness of the deep meaning of words.

Great, portable and does the job.......2000-06-19

I respect the reviews that this is by no means the last word in word origins. However, I have gotten more use out of this book than the other 5 dictionaries behind simply because I can bring it everywhere. Though some may find this a bit odd, I basically bring it on vacation as a second book -- especially in Europe where questions about them seem to crop up. So many more words will get hunted with this book because it will be handy when you need it.

A Little Too Concise to be Useful.......2000-04-05

Perhaps the main use of etymology references is to learn about words and how they have evolved into current usage. A good etymology reference like the Chambers / Barnhart will track the history of a word right back to its Proto-IndoEuropean roots. This is also what the Onions Oxford Etymology does. Now it is clear the Oxford didn't want to cannibalize sales of its classic Etymology Dictionary which defines about 25,000 words. This concise Etymology is a very large selection from the full Oxford, updated with some materials from the 2nd OED. What is missing in many of the etymologies is the word's full story. So, we have a good book with a decent collection that is not quite complete. IF you're looking for a good etymology at the same price, you'd do better with Ayto's Dictionary of Word Origins - only 8,000 words but provides a much more thorough treatment. If you're willing to splurge, the best etymology is the Barnhart, re-released as the Chambers Dictionary of Etymology. You get over 60,000 words, drawn almost entirely from US sources.

There are better Etymologies Available.......2000-04-03

First, this Concise Etymology from Oxford updates the mid-1960s Oxford Dictionary of Etymology, edited by Onions ... by adding some new etymologies from the Second OED. However, Oxford clearly did not want to compete with Onion's tome, which is still available in hardcover. So, what to do? This Concise edition, like the full edtion, defines about 17,000 words. The sacrifice you make getting this work is in the actual etymologies themselves. They simply are not thorough or exhaustive. In this Concise Edition, most word origins are not pushed all the way back to their Indo-European or Proto-Indo European roots - something that the similarly priced John Ayto's work does quite well (though with only 8,000 words). If I were to buy only one etymology dictionary, this would not be my first choice. On a budget I would get Ayto's and learn more about fewer words - and for a few dollars more I would recommend the Chamber's/Barnhart - which is far more scholarly and simply more interesting.

Ologies and Isms: A Dictionary of Word Beginnings and Endings (Oxford Paperback Reference)

Average customer rating:

Great little book
Informative and Enjoyable
the before & aft of English

Ologies and Isms: A Dictionary of Word Beginnings and Endings (Oxford Paperback Reference)
Michael Quinion
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

English (All) | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books

English (British) | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books

Synonyms & Antonyms | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books

Etymology | Words & Language | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Foreign Languages | Reference | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Reference Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0192806408

Book Description

Aquaculture? Haemophilia? Isochronous? Neuralgia? Polyunsaturated? Rodenticide? How often do we see a technical word without quite knowing what it means? If we can decipher it-undo its language code-we can start to understand others of a similar kind. For example, if we know that words beginning with aqua are to do with water, then we are half way to understanding the word aquaculture. Ologies and Isms is about the building blocks of the English language - the beginnings and endings, and sometimes the middles - that help form or adapt many of the words we use. Whether you're a student or a practitioner, a teacher of English, an inveterate word-user, or just a seeker-out of linguistic trifles, Ologies and Isms will help you understand better the language of your workplace and the world around you.

Customer Reviews:

Great little book.......2005-10-23

If you enjoy word origins, you will love this book. Very interesting.

Informative and Enjoyable.......2004-07-20

The terminology of medicine and biology, to name just two fields, is rife with words formed largely by compounding Greek stems. This book enables a layman like me to make sense of them, and of many other words in more common usage. Michael Quinion's explanations of the word parts (usually prefixes and suffixes, but frequently syllables found in the middle of words) are clearly written, and he provides examples of the most common words using each stem.

I would estimate that perhaps 80% of the word stems contained in this book are of Greek origin, either directly or as modified by Latin usage. Since the list of stems is 269 pages long, however, that means that there are plenty of word stems of different origin.

This is also one of those rare reference books that are a joy just to dip into and read an entry or two.

the before & aft of English.......2003-12-11

How often have you seen a technical word & not quite known what it meant? Tired of not really knowing what the ingredients on a food box in the store really are?

OLOGIES AND ISMS by Michael Quinion is a must-have dictionary that will help you decipher the prefixes & suffixes of modern English words.

Book Description

Rhyming slang is a subject of perennial interest to the general language-conscious public. This book, with entries arranged in topic areas, such as clothing, food and drink, animals, sex, and illness, illustrates how rich and entertaining a language form it is. Through extensive examples, John Ayto explores the range and development of rhyming slang during its 150 year history, from the 'bees and honey', 'oily rag', and 'Uncle Ned' of traditional Cockney Rhyming Slang to the popney rhyming slang of today.

The Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology

Average customer rating:

Great Book
Keep it in the kitchen
Oxford is the best - by a whisker.
Oxford Disctionary of English Etymology
Look Elsewhere

The Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology

Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

English (All) | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books

Etymology | Words & Language | Reference | Subjects | Books

Linguistics | Words & Language | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Foreign Languages | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Linguistics | Social Sciences | New & Used Textbooks | Stores | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Reference | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Look Inside Reference Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0198611129

Amazon.com

Dr. C.T. Onions first joined the staff of the Oxford English Dictionary in 1895. He worked on the OED, the Shorter OED, and then published his Shakespeare Glossary in 1911. A wonderful and learned scholar, he died in 1966 as the first edition of The Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology was going to press. Assisted by G.W.S. Friedrichsen and R.W. Burchfield, Onions created a magnificent work of erudition, with 24,000 main entries. Including their derivatives, the dictionary delves into the origins of more than 38,000 words.

For each entry, the dictionary provides the correct pronunciation, followed by a short definition, and the century and source of the word's first recording. Then come the etymological notes. Thus one learns that "froth" (an aggregation of small bubbles on liquid) was first noted in the 14th century, in Sir Gawain and the Bible, that it comes from the Old Norse frooa, and was taken from there into German (fraup) and Old English (froth). Now in its fifth printing and a standard reference for scholars, Onions's opus is still the most comprehensive etymological dictionary of English ever to be published. --Stephanie Gold

Book Description

This comprehensive dictionary by one of our century's greatest language scholars provides a clear and brief account of the origins, history, and sense-development of more than 38,000 words.

Customer Reviews:

Great Book.......2007-01-11

Great book if you want brief word history's. Isn't much different than what you can find in many online etymology databases, however, a good investment.

Keep it in the kitchen.......2006-09-22

We have had a copy of the Oxford Etymological Dictionary in our kitchen for past several years because over the dinner table, inevitably, one of our children asks, "where does that word come from?" We were tired of running in and out of the living room to find out. Now it has become a game -- who can come up with a probable root before whoever is looking it up finds the real answer. No, we don't home school. Our children are still young -- 12 and 9. I have occasionally caught my 12 year old just wallowing in this book, and she is normal in every other way.

Don't compromise because something seems a little difficult to access! The more you use it, the more comfortable you'll be with it. This, along with S.I. Hayakawa's Choose the Right Word, are two veritable smorgasbords for word lovers. A good atlas is a good thing to have on hand as well.

Oxford is the best - by a whisker........2002-09-05

Other reviewers claim that the Chambers Dictionary of Etymology is a better book than the Oxford Dictionary of Etymology. I must disagree. I was recently in a bookstore that had both in stock, and I was able to compare the two. Overall, I found the Chambers to be less informative than the Oxford book.

Admittedly, I did not have the time to compare a lot of entries, but the few words I did look up showed a pattern that was hard to dismiss. In all of the cases that I saw, the Oxford dictionary included much more of the history of the word and often went back to the Latin root as well as proposing possible alternate developments of the word. The Chambers dictionary, on the other hand, tended to trace a more linear path and often only went as far back as the Old English or Old French root.

While the Chambers Dictionary of Etymology is a very clear and concise work..., I feel the Oxford Dictionary of Etymology has a slight advantage in precision and depth. Perhaps (as one reviewer has stated) the Chambers has more entries overall, but I feel this has come at the price of a lack of depth of history behind each entry. The Oxford book may have less entries, but each entry contains all the information anyone would ever need.

All in all, I think both books are way ahead of their competitors, but if you want the ultimate in depth, go for the Oxford publication. If you want a good dictionary of etymology at a reasonable price, get the Chambers book.

Oxford Disctionary of English Etymology.......2001-02-23

This book could be useful for a serious etymologyst, but it is very difficult to decifer unless you are willing to spend hours learning all of the abbreviations. It is organized like a dictionary. The entries give the current dictionary definition of each word, and then proceed to trace the evolution of the word. This evolution is often difficult to understand because of the previously mentioned abbreviations. This book is for a dedicated linguist, or someone with much patience and time

Look Elsewhere.......2000-04-03

Though the Oxford Etymology is an excellent work, it doesn't read well as a dictionary - being essentially a selection of edited etymological notes from the Original OED. The scholarship is dry, and cryptic... To appreciate this contrast, take a look at the Barnhart Etymology Dictionary, recently re-released as the Chamber's Dictionary of Etymology - with at least three times the material in terms of etymological research and definitions at less than half the price! What's especially useful for American readers is that the Barnhart / Chambers is drawn almost entirely from American sources and scholarship. IF you're only going to buy one etymology dictionary, get the Chambers - but if you're hooked, then the Oxford is an excellent adjunct to the more exhaustive Chambers/Barnhart, balancing the American scholarship with a decidedly UK English orientation.

Average customer rating:

Limited

The Oxford Dictionary of Allusions
Andrew Delahunty , Sheila Dignan , and Penny Stock
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

English (All) | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books

English (British) | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books

Literature | Encyclopedias | Reference | Subjects | Books

Etymology | Words & Language | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Words & Language | Reference | Subjects | Books

Linguistics | Words & Language | Reference | Subjects | Books

Semantics | Words & Language | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Foreign Languages | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0198600313

Book Description

Allusions form a colourful extension to the English Language, drawing on our collective knowledge of literature, mythology, and the Bible to give us a literary shorthand for describing people, places, and events. So a miser is a Scrooge, a strong man is a Samson or a Hercules, a beautiful woman is a Venus or a modern-day Helen of Troy-we can suffer like Sisyphus, fail like Canute, or linger like the smile of the Cheshire Cat. This completely new reference work explains the meanings of the allusions in use in modern English, from Abaddon to Zorro, Tartarus to Tarzan, and Rubens to Rambo. The fascinating book is based on an extensive reading programme that has identified the most commonly-used allusions, and quotations are included at most entries to illustrate usage, from a range of authors and sources, from Thomas Hardy to Ben Elton, Charles Dickens to 'Bridget Jones's Diary'.

Customer Reviews:

Limited.......2002-10-20

The Oxford Dictionary of Allusions is limited in content. I would have preferred something more complete.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books