Origin of Kibosh
Title | Origin of Kibosh PDF eBook |
Author | Gerald Cohen |
Publisher | Routledge |
Pages | 234 |
Release | 2017-10-10 |
Genre | Foreign Language Study |
ISBN | 1351809903 |
This is an etymological study of the origins of the word kibosh, which has long been one of the great mysteries of the English language. Unconvincing derivations have been suggested from Yiddish to Gaelic and Italian, and thus far consensus among lexicographers has leaned toward referencing the word as ‘origin unknown’. In this study, the authors present convincing and important new evidence in favour of the derivation of kibosh from the word for a fearsome Middle Eastern whip, known as the kurbash. This monograph is one of the most significant etymological works directed at a single phrase. It is the gold standard on deep-drill, focused and exhaustive single-word lexicography and will be of interest to lexicographers and linguists in the relevant fields.
Origin of Kibosh
Title | Origin of Kibosh PDF eBook |
Author | GERALD. GORANSON COHEN (STEPHEN. LITTLE, MATTHEW.) |
Publisher | Routledge |
Pages | 162 |
Release | 2020-08-14 |
Genre | |
ISBN | 9780367597931 |
This is an etymological study of the origins of the word kibosh, which has long been one of the great mysteries of the English language. This monograph is one of the most significant etymological works directed at a single phrase.
Origin of Kibosh
Title | Origin of Kibosh PDF eBook |
Author | Gerald Leonard Cohen |
Publisher | |
Pages | 0 |
Release | 2018 |
Genre | English language |
ISBN | 9781138628953 |
This is an etymological study of the origins of the word kibosh, which has long been one of the great mysteries of the English language. This monograph is one of the most significant etymological works directed at a single phrase.
Word Origins...And How We Know Them
Title | Word Origins...And How We Know Them PDF eBook |
Author | Anatoly Liberman |
Publisher | OUP USA |
Pages | 335 |
Release | 2009-03-16 |
Genre | Language Arts & Disciplines |
ISBN | 0195387074 |
A guide to the science and process of etymology for the layperson explains how the origins and history of hundreds of words are determined, discussing such topics as folk etymology, changes of meaning in language history, borrowed words, and the methods of etymology.
How the Irish Invented Slang
Title | How the Irish Invented Slang PDF eBook |
Author | Daniel Cassidy |
Publisher | AK Press |
Pages | 0 |
Release | 2007 |
Genre | Americanisms |
ISBN | 9781904859604 |
Cassidy presents a history of the Irish influence on American slang in a colourful romp through the slums, the gangs of New York and the elaborate scams of grifters and con men, their secret language owing much to the Irish Gaelic imported with many thousands of immigrants. With chapters on How the Irish Invented Poker and How the Irish Invented Jazz, Cassidy stakes a claim for the Irishness of American English. Includes a preface by Peter Quinn and an Irish - American Vernacular Dictionary.
Wordcatcher
Title | Wordcatcher PDF eBook |
Author | Phil Cousineau |
Publisher | Simon and Schuster |
Pages | 331 |
Release | 2010-03-15 |
Genre | Reference |
ISBN | 1573445509 |
Who knew that the great country of Canada is named for a mistake? How about "bedswerver," the best Elizabethan insult to hurl at a cheating boyfriend? By exploring the delightful back stories of the 250 words in Wordcatcher, readers are lured by language and entangled in etymologies. Author Phil Cousineau takes us on a tour into the obscure territory of word origins with great erudition and endearing curiosity. The English poet W. H. Auden was once asked to teach a poetry class, and when 200 students applied to study with him, he only had room for 20 of them. When asked how he chose his students, he said he picked the ones who actually loved words. So too, with this book — it takes a special wordcatcher to create a treasure chest of remarkable words and their origins, and any word lover will relish the stories that Cousineau has discovered.
Port Out, Starboard Home
Title | Port Out, Starboard Home PDF eBook |
Author | Michael Quinion |
Publisher | |
Pages | 312 |
Release | 2004 |
Genre | Language Arts & Disciplines |
ISBN |
What is the true origin of the phrase 'one fell swoop'? Does the word 'honeymoon' really derive from an old Persian custom of giving the happy couple mead, a honey wine, for the first month after the wedding? The rapid growth of the internet and the use of email has increased the circulation of (usually) false tales about the evolution of language. In this entertaining and fascinating new book on the origins of words and expressions, Michael Quinion retells the mythic tales that have become popular currency - the word 'posh' deriving from 'port out, starboard home' - and also tries to find and explain the true stories behind the origins of phrases. Quinion offers explanations of why and how stories about words are created, and how misunderstanding word origins - while usually harmless - can have serious consequences.