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Etymology Books
Showing 1-50 of 535
The Etymologicon: A Circular Stroll through the Hidden Connections of the English Language (Hardcover)
by (shelved 47 times as etymology)
avg rating 4.23 — 13,021 ratings — published 2011
The Mother Tongue: English and How It Got That Way (Paperback)
by (shelved 24 times as etymology)
avg rating 3.91 — 45,142 ratings — published 1990
The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary (Paperback)
by (shelved 20 times as etymology)
avg rating 3.84 — 124,835 ratings — published 1998
The Horologicon: A Day's Jaunt Through the Lost Words of the English Language (Kindle Edition)
by (shelved 11 times as etymology)
avg rating 3.95 — 2,594 ratings — published 2012
Dictionary of Word Origins: Histories of More Than 8,000 English-Language Words (Paperback)
by (shelved 11 times as etymology)
avg rating 4.03 — 239 ratings — published 1990
Made in America: An Informal History of the English Language in the United States (Paperback)
by (shelved 11 times as etymology)
avg rating 3.92 — 16,385 ratings — published 1994
Word Perfect: Etymological Entertainment For Every Day of the Year (Hardcover)
by (shelved 10 times as etymology)
avg rating 4.27 — 1,663 ratings — published 2021
The Story of English in 100 Words (Hardcover)
by (shelved 9 times as etymology)
avg rating 3.93 — 2,607 ratings — published 2011
Proto: How One Ancient Language Went Global (Hardcover)
by (shelved 8 times as etymology)
avg rating 4.12 — 4,868 ratings — published 2025
Babel (Hardcover)
by (shelved 7 times as etymology)
avg rating 4.12 — 550,970 ratings — published 2022
Word Origins ... and How We Know Them: Etymology for Everyone (Hardcover)
by (shelved 7 times as etymology)
avg rating 3.49 — 205 ratings — published 2005
Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue: The Untold History of English (Paperback)
by (shelved 7 times as etymology)
avg rating 3.83 — 7,286 ratings — published 2008
The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows (Hardcover)
by (shelved 6 times as etymology)
avg rating 4.44 — 6,786 ratings — published 2018
Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language (Hardcover)
by (shelved 6 times as etymology)
avg rating 4.04 — 12,900 ratings — published 2019
Empires of the Word: A Language History of the World (Paperback)
by (shelved 6 times as etymology)
avg rating 4.06 — 3,149 ratings — published 2005
The Elements of Eloquence: How to Turn the Perfect English Phrase (Hardcover)
by (shelved 6 times as etymology)
avg rating 4.35 — 7,660 ratings — published 2013
Chambers Dictionary of Etymology (Hardcover)
by (shelved 6 times as etymology)
avg rating 4.50 — 111 ratings — published 1988
The Secret Life of Words: How English Became English (Hardcover)
by (shelved 6 times as etymology)
avg rating 3.70 — 551 ratings — published 2008
Alphabet Juice: The Energies, Gists, and Spirits of Letters, Words, and Combinations Thereof; Their Roots, Bones, Innards, Piths, Pips, and Secret Parts, Tinctures, Tonics, and Essences; With Examples of Their Usage Foul and Savory (Hardcover)
by (shelved 6 times as etymology)
avg rating 3.61 — 879 ratings — published 2008
Algospeak: How Social Media Is Transforming the Future of Language (Hardcover)
by (shelved 5 times as etymology)
avg rating 3.68 — 5,750 ratings — published 2025
Word by Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries (Hardcover)
by (shelved 5 times as etymology)
avg rating 4.18 — 9,590 ratings — published 2017
Word Myths: Debunking Linguistic Urban Legends (Hardcover)
by (shelved 5 times as etymology)
avg rating 3.46 — 347 ratings — published 2004
The Wordhord: Daily Life in Old English (Hardcover)
by (shelved 4 times as etymology)
avg rating 4.24 — 1,203 ratings — published 2021
Wordslut: A Feminist Guide to Taking Back the English Language (Hardcover)
by (shelved 4 times as etymology)
avg rating 4.22 — 30,776 ratings — published 2019
Port Out, Starboard Home (Hardcover)
by (shelved 4 times as etymology)
avg rating 3.32 — 171 ratings — published 2000
Words on the Move: Why English Won't—and Can't—Sit Still (Like, Literally)
by (shelved 4 times as etymology)
avg rating 4.13 — 1,994 ratings — published 2016
Unfortunate English: The Gloomy Truth Behind the Words You Use (Hardcover)
by (shelved 4 times as etymology)
avg rating 3.56 — 159 ratings — published 2006
English Words from Latin and Greek Elements (Paperback)
by (shelved 4 times as etymology)
avg rating 4.09 — 138 ratings — published 1965
The Story of English (Paperback)
by (shelved 4 times as etymology)
avg rating 4.09 — 2,417 ratings — published 1986
I Love it When You Talk Retro: Hoochie Coochie, Double Whammy, Drop a Dime, and the Forgotten Origins of American Speech (Hardcover)
by (shelved 4 times as etymology)
avg rating 3.47 — 286 ratings — published 2009
In Other Words : A Language Lover's Guide to the Most Intriguing Words Around the World (Hardcover)
by (shelved 4 times as etymology)
avg rating 3.64 — 363 ratings — published 2004
The Dord, the Diglot, and an Avocado or Two: The Hidden Lives and Strange Origins of Common and Not-So-Common Words (Paperback)
by (shelved 4 times as etymology)
avg rating 3.56 — 218 ratings — published 2007
Red Herrings and White Elephants (Hardcover)
by (shelved 3 times as etymology)
avg rating 3.70 — 671 ratings — published 2004
Words from Hell: Unearthing the Darkest Secrets of English Etymology (Hardcover)
by (shelved 3 times as etymology)
avg rating 4.19 — 209 ratings — published 2023
Interesting Stories about Curious Words: From Stealing Thunder to Red Herrings (Kindle Edition)
by (shelved 3 times as etymology)
avg rating 3.61 — 454 ratings — published 2023
Says Who? A Kinder, Funner Usage Guide for Everyone Who Cares About Words (Hardcover)
by (shelved 3 times as etymology)
avg rating 4.09 — 869 ratings — published 2024
Politics and the English Language (Kindle Edition)
by (shelved 3 times as etymology)
avg rating 4.30 — 9,343 ratings — published 1946
Nine Nasty Words: English in the Gutter — Then, Now, and Forever (Kindle Edition)
by (shelved 3 times as etymology)
avg rating 3.93 — 4,543 ratings — published 2021
The Cabinet of Linguistic Curiosities: A Yearbook of Forgotten Words (Hardcover)
by (shelved 3 times as etymology)
avg rating 4.13 — 177 ratings — published 2017
The Story of Human Language (Audio CD)
by (shelved 3 times as etymology)
avg rating 4.40 — 3,229 ratings — published 2004
Dictionary of Latin and Greek Origins: A Comprehensive Guide to the Classical Origins of English Words (Hardcover)
by (shelved 3 times as etymology)
avg rating 3.66 — 41 ratings — published 1997
Devious Derivations: Popular Misconceptions and More than 1000 True Origins of Common Words and Phrases (Hardcover)
by (shelved 3 times as etymology)
avg rating 3.21 — 28 ratings — published 1993
The Unexpected Evolution of Language: Discover the Surprising Etymology of Everyday Words (Paperback)
by (shelved 3 times as etymology)
avg rating 3.66 — 93 ratings — published 2012
The Painted Word: A Treasure Chest of Remarkable Words and Their Origins (Paperback)
by (shelved 3 times as etymology)
avg rating 3.49 — 180 ratings — published 2012
The Concise Dictionary of English Etymology (Paperback)
by (shelved 3 times as etymology)
avg rating 4.40 — 42 ratings — published 1882
Expletive Deleted: A Good Look at Bad Language (Hardcover)
by (shelved 3 times as etymology)
avg rating 3.67 — 332 ratings — published 2004
Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology: An Accessible Linguistics Reference Book on the Origins of 21,000 English Words (Hardcover)
by (shelved 3 times as etymology)
avg rating 4.47 — 88 ratings — published 1995
The Meaning of Tingo and Other Extraordinary Words from around the World (Hardcover)
by (shelved 3 times as etymology)
avg rating 3.48 — 750 ratings — published 1999
Origins of the Specious: Myths and Misconceptions of the English Language (Hardcover)
by (shelved 3 times as etymology)
avg rating 3.80 — 621 ratings — published 2009
The Unfolding of Language: An Evolutionary Tour of Mankind's Greatest Invention (Paperback)
by (shelved 3 times as etymology)
avg rating 4.22 — 4,190 ratings — published 2005
“Etymology” is from the Greek and means the study (logia) of the “literal meaning of a word according to its origin” (etymon).... It can be a huge help in spelling. For instance, people sometimes misspell “iridescent.”... Rather than just try to memorize the spelling, if you look at the etymology—study the entrails of the word—you find that “iris, irid” is a combining form that comes from the Greek Iris, the goddess of the rainbow and the messenger of the gods.... [O]nce you know that “iridescent” comes from Iris, you’ll never spell it wrong.”
― Between You & Me: Confessions of a Comma Queen
― Between You & Me: Confessions of a Comma Queen
“It's a totally ridiculous, completely unsexy word. If you use it during sex, trying to be politically correct-- "Darling, could you stroke my vagina?"-- you kill the act right there. I'm worried about vaginas, what we call them and don't call them.”
― The Vagina Monologues
― The Vagina Monologues
