The Secret Lives of WordsHarcourt, 2000 - 296 páginas We are often unaware of the unique and intriguing stories of the words we love. Thousands of our words have been so twisted, tangled, misused, and muddled over the centuries that their original meaning has been obscured. You'll be surprised to learn that table napkins were once made of and referred to as asbestos, that atom means uncuttable, that a cloud was once a hill, and that a companion is one who eats bread with you. Compiled over the years in his handwritten notebooks, acclaimed prose stylist Paul West offers us an album of treasures. The Secret Lives of Words is an "Antiques Road Show" of language, in which West chronicles the centuries-long travels of words across continents and through cultures. For word enthusiasts, speakers, writers, thinkers, and all readers, this volume recounting the intimate ancestry of language will enrich our understanding of and appreciation for the words we use every day. |
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Página 125
... hard to say . Those who have been close to bangs have reported no such noises , but rather a negating , subtractive hush , which of course was the abolition of all other sounds . GOLLIWOG This grotesque black male doll first appeared ...
... hard to say . Those who have been close to bangs have reported no such noises , but rather a negating , subtractive hush , which of course was the abolition of all other sounds . GOLLIWOG This grotesque black male doll first appeared ...
Página 169
... hard ; what , after all , do we make of those who witness crucifixion , say , with a stiff upper lip or two ? MAVEN It comes from the Hebrew word for " understanding " and means expert , specialist , connoisseur , agreeably substituting ...
... hard ; what , after all , do we make of those who witness crucifixion , say , with a stiff upper lip or two ? MAVEN It comes from the Hebrew word for " understanding " and means expert , specialist , connoisseur , agreeably substituting ...
Página 262
... hard without being found out by my schoolmates ; I loved books so . In fact , one of my grammar school reports characterized me as a boy of ability and intelligence who does not concentrate or work hard . Around the same time I was ...
... hard without being found out by my schoolmates ; I loved books so . In fact , one of my grammar school reports characterized me as a boy of ability and intelligence who does not concentrate or work hard . Around the same time I was ...
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Términos y frases comunes
actually American appear asked ball became become begin bread British called century changes close comes common course cricket denote deriving dictionaries doubt early English especially etymology expression fact feel fiction fire force French German gerund give goes Greek hand hard head hear heard human idea Indo-European Italy keep kind known language late Latin least less letters LIVES OF WORDS look lost meaning meant Middle mind never noun Old English Old French once origin past PAUL WEST perhaps person phrase piece play poet reference Romans SECRET LIVES seems sense slang someone sometimes sound speech suggests sure term thing thought tion trying turn universe verb whereas woman wonder word's write
Referencias a este libro
Dubious Doublets: A Delightful Compendium of Unlikely Word Pairs of Common ... Stewart Edelstein Vista de fragmentos - 2003 |