Where did the words bungalow and assassin derive? What did nice mean in the Middle Ages? How were adder, anger, and umpire originally spelt? The answers can be found in this essential companion to any popular dictionary. With over 17,000 entries, this is the most authoritative and comprehensive guide to word origins available in paperback. Based on The Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, the principal authority on the origin and development of English words, it contains a wealth of information about our language and its history. Published On: 1996-03-27

Did you know: –that the word nice meant foolish or stupid in the thirteenth century? –that deer once referred to any animal? –that cumberbund, pundit and bungalow, all relics of the Indian raj, have been in use in English since the 1600’s? –that such words as sandwich, boycott and malapropism take their names from people, both real and fictional? –that sombrero, which comes to us from Spanish, originally meant an Oriental umbrella? These are but a few of the thousands of fascinating tidbits to be found in The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Etymology. Here the reader will find a clear and brief account of the origins, history, and sense-development of a major part of the modern English vacaburlary, including both basic words and a wide selection of derivative forms. Begun under the supervision of the late G.W.S. Friedrichsen, this valuable reference book benefits from his many years of experience as an etymologist for the Oxford dictionaries. About the Author: T.F. Hoad is a Fellow of St. Peter’s College Oxford.