'Witty and erudite ... stuffed with the kind of arcane information that nobody strictly needs to know, but which is a pleasure to learn nonetheless.' Nick Duerden, Independent.
'Particularly good ... Forsyth takes words and draws us into their, and our, murky history.' William Leith, Evening Standard.
The Etymologicon is an occasionally ribald, frequently witty and unerringly erudite guided tour of the secret labyrinth that lurks beneath the English language.
What is the actual connection between disgruntled and gruntled? What links church organs to organised crime, California to the Caliphate, or brackets to codpieces?
Mark Forsyth's riotous celebration of the idiosyncratic and sometimes absurd connections between words is a classic of its kind: a mine of fascinating information and a must-read for word-lovers everywhere.
'Highly recommended' Spectator.
Publisher: Icon Books
ISBN: 9781848313071
Number of pages: 272
Weight: 352 g
Dimensions: 204 x 138 x 27 mm
A wonderfully surprising tour of the English language. Irreverent but intelligent, well-thought out and with plenty of suprises. Perfect for dipping in and out of.
This little book was on my (mental) "to purchase" list, but somehow I lost track of it. Until a few weeks ago. It must have been a sign, hahaha.
The Etymologicon offers a very nice, entertaining, and witty...
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This is an brilliant book and very cleverly put together. It has had me laughing out loud many times. If you like words, their origins and how have they have changed over time, you'll love this book. It is very... More
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