T.F. Hoad
Where did the words ,bungalow, and ,assassin, derive? What did ,nice, mean in the Middle Ages? How were ,adder, anger,, and ,umpire, originally spelled? 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. For example, readers will learn that ,bungalow, originally meant belonging to Bengal, that ,assassin, comes from the Arabic for Hashish-eater, and that ,nice, meant foolish or stupid in the thirteenth century, coy or shy in the fifteenth. And ,adder, anger,, and ,umpire, were originally spelled with an initial n. These are but a few of the fascinating tidbits found in this dictionary, which is a must for anyone interested in the richness of the English language.
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The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology