THE PENGUIN BOOK OF WORD HISTORIES (PENGUIN REFERENCE LIBRARY)

Compiled by Fred McDonald, this new book traces the origins and explains the meanings of approximately 15,000 words. Words with similar ancestry or semantic development are cross-referenced or subsumed into one entry, making comparisons easier for the reader. There is also a short introduction explaining the book's purpose and layout, and giving a very short account of the English language and the languages that have contributed to it.