{"product_id":"9781399809191-useless-etymology","title":"Useless Etymology","description":"\u003cmeta content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\" http-equiv=\"Content-Type\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOffbeat Word Origins for Curious Minds\u003cbr\u003eA dazzling illumination of the astonishing kaleidoscope that is the English language\u003ci\u003e, Useless Etymology\u003c\/i\u003e explores and examines the words we use every day - and why we use them - with a joyful blend of wit, wonder and whimsy.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"A burst of delight on every page!\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eMignon Fogarty, host of the Grammar Girl podcast\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDid you know that an \"astronaut\" is literally a \"star sailor,\" that a thesaurus is, in fact, a \"treasure\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003etrove\" of words, and that someone who is \"sinister\" is actually just \"left-handed\"?\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eHave you ever wondered why English isn't considered a Romance language if 60% of our\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003ewords are Latin-derived?\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eDid Shakespeare really invent 1,700 words, and if not, why the heck do we say that he did?\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eWhy is the English language stuffed with so many synonyms?\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Let's be real: English can seem pretty bonkers. And, well, sometimes it is. But through thorough thought and a pinch of curiosity, method can be found within the madness of our modern tongue-even within the disparate pronunciation of the words \"through,\" \"thorough,\" and \"thought.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Derived from Germanic, Romance, Hellenic, Semitic, African and Native American languages, English contains multitudes. It has been (and continues to be) transformed by war and conquest, art and literature, science and technology, love and hate, wit and whim.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eUseless Etymology\u003c\/i\u003e takes readers on a time-traveling adventure to unlock the beauty, wonder, and absurdity within our everyday words, how they came to be, and the unexpected ways their origins weave a global, cross-cultural labyrinth of meaning.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Filled with fun facts and delightful discoveries, this is an enlightening read for anyone who wants to know more about why the English language works the way that it does.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rarewaves","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57924910842230,"sku":"9781399809191","price":9.42,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0092\/7504\/8033\/files\/stand_41424349_48362cff-467b-471b-a48e-31de8b0dab0c.jpg?v=1779916993","url":"https:\/\/www.rarewaves.com\/products\/9781399809191-useless-etymology","provider":"Rarewaves.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}