Epic English Words: Dictionary of Beauty, Interest, and Wonder

by Robin Devoe

A Wonderful Book to Explore Beautiful and Interesting Words! A curated list of beautiful and often obscure words, but also interesting names from mythology, geography, poetry, literature, music, history, and more. A unique book -- the perfect gift for writers, poets, and word lovers! Unusual and interesting vocabulary , such moonglade, brontide, anagalactic, davening, nemorous, soulcraft, twitterlight, circumvolant, meeping, goetic, noetic, welkin, smokefall, cosmoplastic, esperance, soma, sweven, orison, omnishambles, pythonic, protogenic, obnubilate, hamadryad, mellisugent, numinous, nepenthe, noctivagant, sylvestral, subnivean, hemiboreal, and Arcadian. Also creative place names (real & imaginary) and names from the arts & sciences, Avalonia, Shambhala, Muspelheim, Asphodel Meadows, El Gordo, Aldebaran, parasqualodon, Prufrockian, Devonian, Alfheim, Pavlopetri, Baltis Vallis, Fiddler's Green, Mountains of the Moon, Elysian Fields, Bucephalus, Mongolian death worm, Hesperides, Albion, Ilium, Hibernia, and Drakensburg! This book is part dictionary, part very portable, extremely selective, and curated encyclopedia . This book showcases words and terms that are all interesting for some reason. Some look or sound beautiful; some are strange in a creative way; some esoteric and deep. Many entries include etymologies and quotations from poetry, literature, etc. showing word usage. In addition to the many recherché vocabulary words, there are numerous entries from mythology, astronomy, geography, mathematics, zoology, poetry, and literature. Just a few humans are listed as entries (e.g., Finnish poet Runeberg and English astrologer Sepharial ). A liberal sprinkling of English's more elegant prefixes (such circum -, cosmo-, proto-, ob-, and para- ) and suffixes ( -esque, -mancy, - escent , -ium, and -genic ) are spread throughout this alphabetized volume.

Whether purchased for yourself or an artistic and creative friend or relative, this book will be enjoyed by those who want to discover interesting and beautiful words that haunt the fringes of the English language!

Genres: Writing, Reference, Nonfiction, Language

156 pages, Paperback

Published November 27, 2021

Reviews

[Kristina Stangl · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’re a lover of the English language, dictionaries, encyclopedias and history, then you’ll enjoy this book. Lots of interesting words with detailed explanations. A nice collection to add to your book shelves.


#giveaway #goodreadsgiveaway

[D.S. Kinahan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great reference book---Now I’ve got a whole new selection of words to include in my next novel!

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

My thanks to both Goodreads and the author for an advanced copy of this new collection of words to both help in communication, learn a little bit more about the word, and to look at for enjoyment, and to sound smart to other people.

I am not sure when I started but for a long time I always have a file card with me when I read. For physical books it works as both bookmark and place to make notes, for e-books just for notes. I write down things I don't know, or was not aware of. Tricks to do things, cool lines, quotes, historical events and of course words. If I don't know a word, I write it down, and at some point I will look at my file card and look things up. I love hearing and finding words I never knew, and I love sharing words with others. Especially to my role-playing friends, as sometimes this might add some atmosphere to their games, or ideas for tired GameMasters. Which is why I quite enjoyed Epic English Words: Dictionary of Beautiful English Vocabulary Words collected and collated by Robin Devoe.

The book is a dictionary of words from antiquity and literature, mythology and words that have been forgotten, with some exotic locales and terminology thrown in. Examples are given, sometimes sourced, sometimes left to the reader's imagination. This would be a great book for writers and even more for poets and song writers, as just looking at a page will make anyone want to create something from these words. Role players can use some of these words in their gameplay, and would also add a nice atmosphere to campaigns. This is not a book to be read cover to cover, but one that embraces randomness. A very good collection with a lot of uses, and one that would be a good gift for creative friends at the holidays.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting seems an underwhelming word but until I finish this book its all I have.

[Drew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shared one word a day at work for a couple years and made it through! Great fun but sadly most of the words are forgotten.