This work traces the etymologies of the entries to their earliest sources, shows their kinship to both Spanish and English, and organizes them into families of words in an Appendix of Indo-European roots. Entries are based on those of the Diccionario de la lengua española de la Real Academia Española.

This work traces the etymologies of the entries to their earliest sources, shows their kinship to both Spanish and English, and organizes them into families of words in an Appendix of Indo-European roots. Entries are based on those of the Diccionario de la lengua espaola de la Real Academia Espaola.

The main purpose of this etymological dictionary is to trace each Spanish word as far back as possible in order to acquaint the reader with the history of the evolution of the Spanish language; another of its aims is to help students learn vocabulary, e.g., the English word 'sky' does not help English speaking persons learn the Spanish work 'cielo' but the English word 'celestial' does. Etymology is the history of words, and, as words stand for things, it is also the history of things, and therefore of civilisation. The words analyzed in this dictionary cover every area of human endeavor, including science and technology; in addition to words, the book contains certain phrases, and many affixes. Although some Spanish words are not of Indo-European origin, most of them are. In view of the proportion of words with similar etymologies in certain languages, this Spanish etymological dictionary can also be used to find the origin of thousands of English, French, Italian and Portuguese words as well as that of many words from other languages. Many Indo-European roots are represented in Spanish words and therefore this dictionary forms a complete picture of Indo-European etymology. This etymological dictionary is of great value to all those working with, or interested in, the Spanish language. As a reference work it should be on the shelves of school, university and general public libraries as well as other appropriate reference libraries. It is of particular value to students and teachers of Spanish and to translators and conference interpreters.

Learning Spanish Words through Etymology and Mnemonics makes use of etymology to help you remember Spanish words and, failing that, suggests a mnemonic. Combination of these two approaches in one book separates it from other books on the market. The amount and depth of etymology is carefully chosen to be practical and not overwhelm an average reader. The suggested mnemonics aim to help an educated English-speaking person. An adult or young adult who likes learning vocabulary with some word analysis instead of rote memory will find this book to be helpful and a joy to read. With about 3000 words selected from 15000 in the Real Academia Espaola corpus sorted in frequency order, this booklet can be used either as a dictionary or for leisure reading. The hint provided for each word is particularly helpful for short-term memory needed in taking an exam, while the etymological and cultural information will serve you for years to come. For more information and book errata, please visit http://yong321.freeshell.org/lsw/ "Yong Huang offers in the introduction a clear and detailed explanation of the methodology employed throughout the work, which presents a practical balance between scholarly research and light reading... Yong's work is an important addition to the field of language study, and will be a welcome supplement to anyone's vocabulary-building tools." Edward A. Roberts, Professor Emeritus of Central Michigan University, author of A Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary of the Spanish Language "(Yong Huang's book) filled a niche on my language-learning bookshelf I hadn't even thought of before... the system works as an efficient road map to boosting vocabulary by steering readers directly to the most effective words for building understanding and fluency fast, while pointing out shortcuts and possible pitfalls along the way. It's especially useful for well-read adults and polyglots." Miranda Metheny, Spanish Teacher at District of Columbia Public Schools, polyglot, volunteer admin of Facebook Polyglots group

Unlike other vocabulary guides that require the rote memorization of literally thousands of words, this book starts from the premise that using the etymological connections between Spanish and English words—their common derivations from Latin, Greek, and other languages—is the most effective way to acquire and remember vocabulary. This approach is suitable for beginners as well as for advanced students. Teachers of the language will also find much material that can be used to help motivate their students to acquire, and retain, Spanish vocabulary. Spanish Vocabulary is divided into four parts and four annexes: Part I provides background material on the origins of Spanish and begins the process of presenting Spanish vocabulary. Part II presents "classical" Spanish vocabulary—words whose form (in both Spanish and English) is nearly unchanged from Latin and Greek. Part III deals with "popular" Spanish vocabulary, which underwent significant changes in form (and often meaning) during the evolution from Latin to Spanish. A number of linguistic patterns are identified that will help learners recognize and remember new vocabulary. Part IV treats a wide range of themes, including words of Germanic and Arabic origin, numbers, time, food and animals, the family, the body, and politics. Annex A: Principal exceptions to the "Simplified Gender Rule" Annex B: 700 words whose relations, if any, to English words are not immediately obvious Annex C: -cer verbs and related words Annex D: 4,500 additional words, either individually or in groups, with English correspondences