Dictionary of Eponyms

Nonfiction, Reference & Language, Language Arts, Reading, Vocabulary
Cover of the book Dictionary of Eponyms by Martin Manser, BookBaby
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Martin Manser ISBN: 9781624885105
Publisher: BookBaby Publication: January 1, 2013
Imprint: Language: English
Author: Martin Manser
ISBN: 9781624885105
Publisher: BookBaby
Publication: January 1, 2013
Imprint:
Language: English
This book explores an aspect of the rich heritage of the English language – the deriving of words from the names of people, eg sandwich, wellington, mackintosh, ampere, watt, volt. Eponyms are the people who give their names to words. Most eponymous words derive from a person’s surname: boycott, from the Irish landlord Captain Charles Cunningham Boycott, dahlia, from the Swedish botanist Anders Dahl, the sousaphone, from the American bandmaster John Philip Sousa, and volt, from the Italian physicist Count Alessandro Volta. Some eponymous words come from literary, biblical, or mythological sources: malapropism, from Mrs Malaprop in Sheridan’s The Rivals, Dickensian – for example, a real old-fashioned Dickensian Christmas – from the English writer Charles Dickens, as old as Methuselah, from the age of the Old Testament patriarch, and aphrodisiac, from the Greek goddess of love and beauty Aphrodite. In this book, I have concentrated on the more well-known eponymous words in general use and have sought to give background detail on interesting aspects of an individual’s life. The entries are listed according to the name of the thing referred to, not the name the thing derives from. So there is an entry spoonerism, which shows the derivation Rev William Archibald Spooner. Note that when the name of the thing itself is a person’s name this is listed in alphabetical order: e.g. an Aunt Sally is listed at Aunt, Mrs Grundy at Grundy, and a smart alec at smart.
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
This book explores an aspect of the rich heritage of the English language – the deriving of words from the names of people, eg sandwich, wellington, mackintosh, ampere, watt, volt. Eponyms are the people who give their names to words. Most eponymous words derive from a person’s surname: boycott, from the Irish landlord Captain Charles Cunningham Boycott, dahlia, from the Swedish botanist Anders Dahl, the sousaphone, from the American bandmaster John Philip Sousa, and volt, from the Italian physicist Count Alessandro Volta. Some eponymous words come from literary, biblical, or mythological sources: malapropism, from Mrs Malaprop in Sheridan’s The Rivals, Dickensian – for example, a real old-fashioned Dickensian Christmas – from the English writer Charles Dickens, as old as Methuselah, from the age of the Old Testament patriarch, and aphrodisiac, from the Greek goddess of love and beauty Aphrodite. In this book, I have concentrated on the more well-known eponymous words in general use and have sought to give background detail on interesting aspects of an individual’s life. The entries are listed according to the name of the thing referred to, not the name the thing derives from. So there is an entry spoonerism, which shows the derivation Rev William Archibald Spooner. Note that when the name of the thing itself is a person’s name this is listed in alphabetical order: e.g. an Aunt Sally is listed at Aunt, Mrs Grundy at Grundy, and a smart alec at smart.

More books from BookBaby

Cover of the book The Insider by Martin Manser
Cover of the book Purposely Living on Cloud 9 by Martin Manser
Cover of the book Thousand Dollar Hour by Martin Manser
Cover of the book Neptune King and the Lunatic Asylum by Martin Manser
Cover of the book Hold On & Believe by Martin Manser
Cover of the book The Lonely Phoenix by Martin Manser
Cover of the book The Air Force's Black Ceiling by Martin Manser
Cover of the book Surgical Prayer by Martin Manser
Cover of the book E.V.P. Electronic Voice Phenomenon by Martin Manser
Cover of the book A Feminist Legacy: The Ethics of Wilma Scott Heide and Company by Martin Manser
Cover of the book What Comes Naturally... Before I Forget by Martin Manser
Cover of the book Daily Attitude of Gratitude by Martin Manser
Cover of the book Hansel and Gretel by Martin Manser
Cover of the book The Most Important Conversation is the One You're Not Having by Martin Manser
Cover of the book Quit? No Way! by Martin Manser
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy