Includes bibliographical references (pages 253-294)-and indexes.
CONTENTS NOTE
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The object of etymology -- The thing and the sign -- Sound imitative words -- Sound symbolism -- Folk etymology -- Words based on reduplication -- Infixation -- Disguised compounds -- Suffixes, prefixes, misdivision, and blends -- Words and names -- Coinages by known individuals -- Borrowed words -- A retrospect: the methods of etymology -- Sound laws -- Change of meaning in language history -- The origin of the earliest words and ancient roots -- The state of English etymology.
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SUMMARY OR ABSTRACT
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"If you want to know more about the histories of words than you can find in a dictionary entry or a collection of (often erroneous) etymologies, this is the only book that can help you. A thorough investigation of the history of the science of etymology, Word Origins is the first book to make this arcane endeavor more accessible to the nonspecialist reader."--Jacket.