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The Painted Word
Phil Cousineau
其他書名
A Treasure Chest of Remarkable Words and Their Origins
出版
Simon and Schuster
, 2012-09-11
主題
Reference / Word Lists
Reference / Dictionaries
History / Reference
ISBN
1936740257
9781936740253
URL
http://books.google.com.hk/books?id=7g3yC_EI310C&hl=&source=gbs_api
EBook
SAMPLE
註釋
To untangle the knot of interlocking meanings of these painted words, logophile and mythologist Phil Cousineau begins each fascinating word entry with his own brief definition. He then fills it in with a tint of etymology and a smattering of quotes that show how the word is used, ending with a list of companion words. The words themselves range from commonplace — like biscuit, a twice-baked cake for Roman soldiers — to loanwords including chaparral, from the Basque shepherds who came to the American West; words from myths, such as hector; metamorphosis words, like silly, which evolved holy to goofy in a mere thousand years; and words well worthy of revival, such as carrytale, a wandering storyteller. Whether old-fangled or brand new, all the words included in The Painted Word possess an ineffable quality that makes them luminous.