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.
- ISBN10 014028298X
- ISBN13 9780140282986
- Publish Date 1 April 2010
- Publish Status Out of Print
- Out of Print 29 June 2021
- Publish Country GB
- Imprint Penguin Books Ltd
- Format Paperback
- Pages 624
- Language English