Product Information
This book is awesome awful! Did you know that "awful" first originated as a compliment? How about the fact that it was perfectly fine for someone to defecate in their living room? Or that at one time a bully was actually a sweetheart? You may think that these things sound outlandish, but hundreds of years ago, the words "awful," "defecate," and "bully" meant something entirely different than what we know today. The Unexpected Evolution of Language reveals the origins of 208 everyday terms and the interesting stories behind their shift in meaning. Arranged in alphabetical order, you will enjoy uncovering the backstories to terms like: Awful - worthy of respect or fear; inspiring awe Bimbo - slang for a stupid, inconsequential man Defecate - to purify; cleanse Invest - to clothe; to dress Nice - foolish; stupid Relay - hunting term meaning fresh pack of hounds From "aftermath" and "sophisticated" to "empty" and "prestige," you will aboslutely love seeing just what kind of damage time has done to the English language.Product Identifiers
PublisherAdams Media Corporation
ISBN-101440542783
ISBN-139781440542787
eBay Product ID (ePID)114117509
Product Key Features
Number of Pages240 Pages
LanguageEnglish
Publication NameUnexpected Evolution of Language : Discover the Surprising Etymology of Everyday Words
Publication Year2012
SubjectGeneral, Word Lists, United States / General, Linguistics / Etymology
TypeNot Available
Subject AreaRéférence, Language Arts & Disciplines, History
AuthorJustin Cord Hayes
Dimensions
Item Height0.6 in
Item Weight8 Oz
Item Length7.5 in
Item Width5.5 in
Additional Product Features
LCCN2012-024255
Dewey Edition23
Target AudienceTrade
Dewey Decimal422
Lc Classification NumberPe1574.H39 2012