The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology ; Ed. Robert K. Barnhart ; Managing Ed. Sol Steinmetz

From the Preface:The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology records the roots of our language and shows its many points of contact with the other cultures from which it has absorbed new words and new ideas. It is truly an American reference work not only because it pays particular attention to the American aspect of semantic development of English words but also because it bases much of its material on points of view developed by American scholars. This is the first dictionary of etymology to be produced by an editorial staff in collaboration with American scholars from various fields of language study.Explanations about the development of particular words in a language are probably as ancient as language itself. In western Europe such explanations occur in the writings of Aristotle, Plato, Cicero, and Varro. Though the ancients apparently held many misconceptions about language development, among them that Latin was derived as a form of Greek, their fundamental interest in the workings of language is evidenced by the commentaries and grammars they produced. Even in Anglo-Saxon Britain, we find Aelfric's Grammar and Colloquy, which to this day remain clear statements of the study and acquisition of language.In Middle English times men began to travel farther, to make new contacts with other cultures, and to write practical grammars that facilitated commercial contacts. Early glossaries found in Old and Middle English were succeeded by attempts to show the origins of many new words that were introduced into English in the 1400's to 1600's. The subject of etymology was considered on a consistent basis in Blount’s Glossographia (1656), preceded by earlier works devoted to the subject, such as Minsheu’s Guide into Tongues (1617), and by a sense of borrowing evident in Cawdrey’s A Table Alphabeticall (1604) and the Latin-English dictionaries from Promptorium Parvulorum (1440) on. This book is a unique scholarly achievement-authoritative original scholarship designed to be a useful reference source for the general reader as well as for an important etymological resource for the expert. With over 3,000 entries, the Dictionary covers over 25,000 root, or basic, English words, detailing the derivation of each in clearly written passages that interweave thousands of linguistic and historical facts to explain where words originate, how their forms have changed in English, and how their meanings have developed over time. Offers authoritative original scholarship designed to be a useful reference source for the general reader as well as an important etymological resource for the expert. With over 3,000 entries, the Dictionary covers over 25,000 root, or basic, English words, detailing the derivation of each in clearly written passages that interweave thousands of linguistic and historical facts. Contains Over 30,000 Entries With Word Derivations, Spelling, Pronunciation, And Meanings. Also Traces How The Meanings Have Developed Over Time. Robert K. Barnhart, Editor ; Sol Steinmetz, Managing Editor. Bibliography: P. 1283-1284.