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Previous Thread Next Thread Print Thread Page 1 of 2 1 2 #3748 - 06/28/00 07:10 PM Word Derivations   Joined: Jun 2000 Posts: 1 goodward stranger goodward   stranger Joined: Jun 2000 Posts: 1 Does anyone know of a good book of word derivations? #3749 - 06/29/00 09:04 AM Re: Word Derivations   Joined: Jun 2000 Posts: 444 Bridget addict Bridget   addict Joined: Jun 2000 Posts: 444 Sydney Australia Not personally - I tend to look in my dictionary which is a Shorter Oxford, but if you go to Amazon.com and type 'etymology' in the search engine a fair mass of books come up. You can always take the list to a decent bookstore if you want to see the real thing, which is how I use Amazon anyway. #3750 - 06/29/00 11:56 AM Re: Word Derivations   Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 11,613 Jackie Jackie   Carpal Tunnel Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 11,613 Louisville, Kentucky Welcome, goodward-- I saw on Anu's home page that he gives Project Gutenberg as a site for books online. Haven't had time to check it out myself, yet. Hope it helps. Let us hear, hear? #3751 - 06/30/00 09:49 AM Re: Word Derivations   Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 3,065 Bingley Carpal Tunnel Bingley   Carpal Tunnel Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 3,065 Jakarta My favourite is Eric Partridge's "Origins" -- or it was until my father borrowed it. Bingley Bingley #3752 - 07/12/00 04:30 AM Re: Word Derivations   Joined: Jul 2000 Posts: 1 eclecticology stranger eclecticology   stranger Joined: Jul 2000 Posts: 1 Richmond, BC, Canada I too have "Origins" by Partridge, and use it frequently, but good as it may be I would caution against depending entirely on a single source. Each etymologist will have been influenced by his own experience. A variety of references will help in building a more nuanced understanding of the language. Depending on a single source makes you akin to the university science student who has been careful to avoid any courses in the arts or humanities. #3753 - 07/13/00 01:34 AM Re: Word Derivations   Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 6,511 AnnaStrophic Carpal Tunnel AnnaStrophic   Carpal Tunnel Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 6,511 lower upstate New York Aside from Partridge, you can't beat the O.E.D. I also like the American Heritage. I think those three make a good combination, off-line-wise, anyway. #3754 - 07/13/00 09:27 PM Dictionaries   Joined: Jul 2000 Posts: 1,094 Jazzoctopus old hand Jazzoctopus   old hand Joined: Jul 2000 Posts: 1,094 Cincinnati & Loveland, Ohio, U... In the same line, what would you consider the best dictionary out there? #3755 - 07/14/00 07:34 AM Re: Dictionaries   Joined: May 2000 Posts: 679 Rubrick addict Rubrick   addict Joined: May 2000 Posts: 679 Somewhere outside New York > In the same line, what would you consider the best dictionary out there? I've been using the OED since I was knee-high and I can't recommend it too highly. Plenty of other good ones too but that's the one I turn to in times of forgetfulness or ignorance. Makes a good read in its own right, too. #3756 - 07/14/00 02:37 PM Re: Dictionaries   Joined: Jul 2000 Posts: 1,094 Jazzoctopus old hand Jazzoctopus   old hand Joined: Jul 2000 Posts: 1,094 Cincinnati & Loveland, Ohio, U... I'm guessing OED stands for Oxford English Dictionary? #3757 - 07/17/00 05:07 AM Re: Dictionaries   Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 3,065 Bingley Carpal Tunnel Bingley   Carpal Tunnel Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 3,065 Jakarta Knee-high? Shouldn't that be volume-high? Bingley Bingley #3758 - 07/17/00 02:48 PM Re: Dictionaries   Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 11,613 Jackie Jackie   Carpal Tunnel Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 11,613 Louisville, Kentucky >>Knee-high? Shouldn't that be volume-high?<< Aduh!, bingley! Good one! Sounds like 'Brick has been knee-deep in volumes since he was knee-high! 'Nother question, not worth opening a new thread: the end of the knee-high expression here is "...to a grasshopper". Is it different anywhere else? #3759 - 07/17/00 02:50 PM grasshoppers   Joined: Jul 2000 Posts: 200 william enthusiast william   enthusiast Joined: Jul 2000 Posts: 200 that's the one i know too, jackie. i wonder why that particular choice of insects? probably nothing to do with opera or baseball at all. #3760 - 07/17/00 10:48 PM Re: Dictionaries   Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 1,981 jmh Pooh-Bah jmh   Pooh-Bah Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 1,981 >knee high I think it was a pun!!! #3761 - 07/18/00 03:09 AM Re: Dictionaries   Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 11,613 Jackie Jackie   Carpal Tunnel Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 11,613 Louisville, Kentucky >>>knee high I think it was a pun!!!<< Well, I don't get that one, Jo. I would have if he'd been talking about the Shorter Oxford, but that was Bridget. We used to have Nehi (same pronunciation) soft drinks here. I'm not sure if they're still sold, and also have no idea of whether this was a play on the expression. #3762 - 07/20/00 11:49 AM Re: knees   Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 460 paulb addict paulb   addict Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 460 Hobart, Tasmania, Australia Speaking of 'knees'- there's a CD by Marty Grosz (sp?) with the wonderful title "Songs I learned on my mother's knee, and other low joints". #3763 - 07/21/00 01:07 AM Re: knees   Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 11,613 Jackie Jackie   Carpal Tunnel Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 11,613 Louisville, Kentucky >>"Songs I learned on my mother's knee, and other low joints".<< That sounds like the bee's knees! #3764 - 07/24/00 03:20 PM Re: knees   Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 3,065 Bingley Carpal Tunnel Bingley   Carpal Tunnel Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 3,065 Jakarta Just what I needed to make me a member. Bingley Bingley #3765 - 07/25/00 12:04 PM Re: Dictionaries   Joined: Jul 2000 Posts: 3,467 TEd Remington Carpal Tunnel TEd Remington   Carpal Tunnel Joined: Jul 2000 Posts: 3,467 Marion NC > wonder why that particular choice of insects? Grasshoppers have knees that are more apparent than most other insects. TEd Page 1 of 2 1 2 Moderated by  Jackie  Hop To General Topics ------   Information and announcements   Q&A about words   Wordplay and fun   Words and languages in schools   Miscellany   Weekly Themes   Looking for (writers, speakers, ...) (Old) Weekly themes. 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