The Origins of English Words: A Discursive Dictionary of Indo-European Roots

by Joseph Twadell Shipley Narrated by Jonathan Todd Ross

Overview

There are no direct records of the original Indo-European speech. By comparing the vocabularies of its various descendants, however, it is possible to reconstruct the basic Indo-European roots with considerable confidence. In The Origins of English Words, Shipley catalogues these proposed roots and follows the often devious, always fascinating, process by which some of their offshoots have grown.



Anecdotal, eclectic, and always enthusiastic, The Origins of English Words is a diverting expedition beyond linguistics into literature, history, folklore, anthropology, philosophy, and science.

Editorial Reviews

Newsday

The title promises a discursive voyage,and Shipley is as good as his word. He's a scholarly,humorous,rambling fellow,and his 636-page itinerary is filled with the excitement of chance encounters with long-lost cousins in distant lands.

William Safire

Hats off to Joseph Shipley.
—New York Times

Atlantic Monthly

A word-loving browser's delight.

West Coast Review of Books

Not since the late Frank H. Vizetelly has there been an etymologist of the stature and erudition of Joseph T. Shipley,whose 26 books on various aspects of the English language are not only illuminating but a joy to read. Now,with The Origins of English Words,Shipley has outdone himself.

Perihelion

A dictionary as invaluable to the philologist as it is a wellspring of delight for any inquisitive person.

From the Publisher

Hats off to Joseph Shipley.
—William Safire, New York Times

A dictionary as invaluable to the philologist as it is a wellspring of delight for any inquisitive person.
—Perihelion

A word-loving browser's delight.
—Atlantic Monthly

The title promises a discursive voyage, and Shipley is as good as his word. He's a scholarly, humorous, rambling fellow, and his 636-page itinerary is filled with the excitement of chance encounters with long-lost cousins in distant lands.
—Newsday

Not since the late Frank H. Vizetelly has there been an etymologist of the stature and erudition of Joseph T. Shipley, whose 26 books on various aspects of the English language are not only illuminating but a joy to read. Now, with The Origins of English Words, Dr. Shipley has outdone himself.
—West Coast Review of Books

New York Times - William Safire

Hats off to Joseph Shipley.

New York Times

Hats off to Joseph Shipley.

— William Safire

Product Details

BN ID:	2940160436425
Publisher:	Tantor Audio
Publication date:	08/22/2023
Edition description:	Unabridged

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