How to Read a Word - Hardcover

Knowles, Elizabeth

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0199574898 ISBN 13: 9780199574896

Publisher: OUP Oxford, 2010

Synopsis

Have you ever wondered how you can find out more about a word: Where did it come from? How has its meaning altered? How can it be pronounced? What is its relationship to other words? Language is not fixed, but is an evolutionary process: words develop and change, in meaning, association, and pronunciation, as well as in many other ways. Exploring the routes taken by the words we choose to investigate leads us on fascinating journeys. How to Read a Word, written by the noted lexicographer Elizabeth Knowles, shows us how we might delve into the origins, associations, and evolution of words, and is primarily concerned with the following two points: what questions can be asked about a word? And how can they be answered?

Utilising the unrivalled resources and the language-monitoring programs of the Oxford English Dictionary, the book leads you through the various stages of investigation into the myriad aspects of individual words, from etymology to date of first use and regional distribution, and from spelling and pronunciation to shifts in meaning.

Supported by many examples of investigation into specific words, and featuring a full index, a wide selection of useful online resources, and reams of useful tips for avoiding common pitfalls, it is both a thought-provoking and practical handbook, providing readers with the essential tools to confidently interrogate the words by which they are surrounded. How to Read a Word is the perfect gift for anyone who is fascinated by the development and intricacies of the English language.

About this title

Review:

For anyone interested in dictionaries, and in getting the best out of them, this is an excellent little text: ideal for library and science students and novices at the enquiry desk. (Bob Ducket, Reference Reviews Journal)

About the Author:

Elizabeth Knowles became a historical lexicographer through working as a library researcher for the Oxford English Dictionary Supplement, and then as a Senior Editor for the 4th edition of the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary (1993). She has been Editor of the Oxford Dictionary of Quotations (7th edition, 2009), and her editorial credits include What They Didn't Say: A Book of Misquotations (2006), and the Little Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs (2009).

About this edition

• Publisher: OUP Oxford
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 0199574898
• ISBN 13: 9780199574896
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 208