Best low-cost resource book for English etymology?

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Miroku - 15 Nov 2006 20:30 GMT

Any advice on the best fairly low-cost, portable book on English word
history?

Thanks,

Miroku

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UC - 15 Nov 2006 21:54 GMT

> Any advice on the best fairly low-cost, portable book on English word
> history?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Miroku

Partridge. Oxford.

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Don Phillipson - 16 Nov 2006 00:44 GMT

> Any advice on the best fairly low-cost, portable book on English word
> history?

We do not know whether you mean the history
of words (and etymological dictionary) or the
history of the language. I use and recommend
David Crystal's Cambridge Encyclopaedia of the
English Language; but do not know if you think
this low-cost or high-cost.

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Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

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Miroku - 16 Nov 2006 01:28 GMT

I mean the history of English words--I use David Crystal's Cambridge
Encyclopedia of English, and enjoyed Melvyn Bragg's Adventure of
English (and I feel that both were affordable), but I was looking for a
concise but affordable dictionary for word histories and roots--I have
priced some of them at Border's and Barnes and Noble's and found them
to usually be over $50, which is too steep for me. There is no OED for
cheap, I guess, but I find word histories to be a useful tool both as a
student and a teacher.

Thank you,

Miroku

> > Any advice on the best fairly low-cost, portable book on English word
> > history?
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> English Language; but do not know if you think
> this low-cost or high-cost.

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Django Cat - 16 Nov 2006 14:49 GMT

> I mean the history of English words--I use David Crystal's Cambridge
> Encyclopedia of English, and enjoyed Melvyn Bragg's Adventure of
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
>
> Miroku

Not a book, but http://www.etymonline.com/ is a very useful resource.

DC

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Martin Ambuhl - 17 Nov 2006 00:16 GMT

> I mean the history of English words--I use David Crystal's Cambridge
> Encyclopedia of English, and enjoyed Melvyn Bragg's Adventure of
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> cheap, I guess, but I find word histories to be a useful tool both as a
> student and a teacher.

The Oxford Paperback Reference Series edition of Terry Hoad's
_Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology_ lists for about $17
(paperback, available for about $15).

Walter W. Skeat's
_A Concise Etymological Dictionary of the English Language_ is available
in several paperback editions. The list prices and the actual prices
vary widely:

The Diane edition lists for $17 (paperback).

The Cosmo edition lists for $45 (hardback) and $33 (paperback).

The Dover edition does not have the word "concise" in its title, is a
bout 200 pages longer than the Oxford edition, and lists for $40
(paperback, available for about $28). I don't know this edition or the
reasons for the different page count.

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Discussion Groups / English Usage / November 2006

Best low-cost resource book for English etymology?