Traces the sources of over four hundred expressions and sayings used in everyday speech.
Charles Earle Funk Books
This author delves into the fascinating world of words and their origins. Their work explores how language evolves and how the stories behind words enrich our understanding. Readers can expect a journey of discovery into etymology, revealing hidden meanings and cultural contexts. Their approach makes the study of language accessible and engaging.
Thereby Hangs a Tale - Stories of Curious Word Origins
- 316 pages
- 12 hours of reading
The book explores the etymology of words, revealing their often prosaic origins in languages such as Old English, Old French, Latin, and Greek. It reflects on the limitations of dictionaries, which provide only skeletal details about word origins, leaving much of the rich history and stories behind these words untold. The author draws on decades of research, initiated under Dr. Frank H. Vizetelly, to delve into the deeper narratives that may have accompanied the evolution of language, acknowledging that many of these tales have been lost to time.
