Description
Book SynopsisHow has the English language developed over time? How have words entered the English language, or changed their meaning? David Crystal takes us on a wonderful tour through the origins and evolution of 15 groups of words, from dying to spacecraft. His source is the monumental Historical Thesaurus of the Oxford English Dictionary.
Trade ReviewAs a companion piece to the weightier and more expensive Historical Thesaurus of the Oxford English Dictionary, or a more accessible and affordable alternative, Words in Time and Place is an invaluable and engaging whistle-stop tour of the English language. * Reference Reviews, Sarah Powell *
Colourful phrases and expressive slang abound * Writing Magazine *
Anyone interested in wordsand their origins will derive a great deal of pleasure from perusing this book. * Network Review *
fascinating, erudite and highly entertaining * Tablet, Matthew Adams *
Scholarly, yet in classic Crystal style, with the Monty Python Dead Parrot sketch serving to illustrate Anglo-Saxon defunctive synonymy, this is a serious yet accessible introduction to a supreme work of reference * Good Book Guide *
beautifully written * Annie Martirosyan, Huffington Post Blogs *
If you like the sound of being spliflicated, muckibus, pottical or swacked, David Crystal's Words in Time and Place is for you. * Susie Dent, Books of the year 2014, Spectator *
It's the kind of book that you can browse through time and again and learn something new each time. This one is staying on my Kindle for good! * Corinne Rodrigues, Write Tribe *
The book is a browser's delight. * Michael Quinion, World Wide Words *
Table of ContentsGENERAL INTRODUCTION; WORDS IN TIME AND PLACE; SYMBOLS AND ABBREVIATIONS; GLOSSARY; FURTHER READING AND SOURCES; CHRONOLOGICAL INDEX OF WORDS; CHRONOLOGICAL INDEX OF PEOPLE; CHRONOLOGICAL INDEX OF GENERAL TOPICS
