German Loanwords in English: An Historical Dictionary

by J. Alan Pfeffer, Garland Cannon

Overview

German Loanwords in English: An Historical Dictionary is the largest and most up-to-date collection of English words and multi-word lexical units borrowed from the German, consisting of over 5500 items. Each entry gives the first recorded date of the German loan in English, the semantic area, variant forms, etymology, the first recorded date of the German etymon, a definition of the English word, a listing of the derivative forms, and often, grammatical comment. The sources for each entry are given along with a notation of the approximate degree of assimilation in English. All the included terms are separately listed by semantic field and chronologically, grouped within fifty-year periods, according to their first recorded usage in English. Almost a quarter of the book is devoted to nontechnical, discursive essays that provide considerable information not found in the dictionary entries.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521402545
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	08/26/1994
Pages:	416
Product dimensions:	7.32(w) x 10.28(h) x 1.06(d)

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments; Primary sources; Abbreviations used in this book; Semantic field labels; Introduction; 1. An historical overview by semantic fields J. Alan Pfeffer; 2. Linguistic overview Garland Cannon; 3. The dictionary; 4. Appendix; Loanwords; Conclusion.

Editorial Reviews

"...scholarly, comprehensive, and highly useful—a remarkable accomplishment by the two authors." Herbert Penzi, American Speech

"...Pfeffer and Cannon present their findings in a way which is fascinating for everyone who loves language...a book for the expert and the interested laymen, a book which should be in every Germanist's library. It is a study which demands respect." Dierk Hoffman, Germanic Notes and Reviews

"...an extraordinarily up-to-date record of German loanwords in English." American Reference Books Annual

"In addition to its importance as the most thorough available compendium of German loanwords in English, its arrangement by subject matter makes it particularly valuable....Of vital importance to academic libraries supporting programs in Indo-European or Germanic linguistics, this volume will also be of interest to large public libraries that collect broadly in such general subjects as the etymology of the English language." Choice

"...the analytical categories set forth by Pfeffer and Cannon in this book are interesting and useful." Laurence Urdang, Verbatim Vol. XXI, No. 3

"...a useful tool for those interested in etymology and the history of the English language. This book also reveals that there are more German loanwords in English than is commonly assumed. The alphabetical index to semantic fields is especially thorough. I recommmend this reference work for inclusion in any college and university library collection." Germanic Notes and Reviews

"The book is excellently edited and printed, including even a meticulously correct spelling of thousands of German words. For comprehensiveness and reliability in all other respects the dictionary sets standards of high quality." — International Journal of Lexicography

From the Publisher