Synopsis Browsing through the pages of The Dictionary of Etymology is like exploring the historical, political and rhetorical wonderland of our linguistic heritage. We see the evolution of ideas, as rootword connections that now seem arbitrary are traced to schools of thought from the past. We also find an opportunity to examine how the sometimes backwards, sometimes hilarious, and sometimes illuminating ideologies built into our language affect our modern thinking.

Written in a fresh, accessible style, this book provides the derivations of English-language words without resorting to the use of abbreviations, symbols or technical terminology.