- Paperback: 288 pages
- Publisher: OUP Oxford; New edition edition (13 Oct 2005)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0192806408
- ISBN-13: 978-0192806406
- Product Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.7 x 2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
1,443,775 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #27 in Books > Society, Politics & Philosophy > Social Sciences > Linguistics > Semantics > Lexicography
- #60 in Books > Reference > Dictionaries & Thesauri > Synonyms & Antonyms
- See Complete Table of Contents
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More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
Aquaculture? Haemophilia? Isochronous? Neuralgia? Polyunsaturated? Rodenticide? How often do we see a technical word without quite knowing what it means? If we can decipher it - undo its language code - we can start to understand others of a similar kind. For example, if we know that words beginning with aqua are to do with water, then we are half way to understanding the word aquaculture. Ologies and Isms is about the building blocks of the English language - the beginnings and endings, and sometimes the middles - that help form or adapt many of the words we use. Whether you're a student or a practitioner, a teacher of English, an inveterate word-user, or just a seeker-out of linguistic trifles, Ologies and Isms will help you understand better the language of your workplace and the world around you.
About the Author
Michael Quinion has been a BBC studio manager and producer in radio, heritage interpreter, audio-visual scriptwriter and producer, museum curator, tourism consultant and computer software writer. He has researched word usage for the Oxford English Dictionary since 1992 and wrote a third of the entries for the Oxford Dictionary of New Words. Since 1997 his World Wide Words website has intrigued and entertained a great number of visitors with its informal but
informed analyses of word histories and language evolution.
informed analyses of word histories and language evolution.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Michael Quinion is beautiful. His emotional tale of fascism, yummyism, and other -isms is sure to inspire any idiot who has lots of extra time. So read it to your kids. They'll be sure to whisper strange things into your ear while you sleep as revenge.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
3 reviews
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Informative and Enjoyable
20 July 2004
Format:Paperback
The terminology of medicine and biology, to name just two fields, is rife with words formed largely by compounding Greek stems. This book enables a layman like me to make sense of them, and of many other words in more common usage. Michael Quinion's explanations of the word parts (usually prefixes and suffixes, but frequently syllables found in the middle of words) are clearly written, and he provides examples of the most common words using each stem.
I would estimate that perhaps 80% of the word stems contained in this book are of Greek origin, either directly or as modified by Latin usage. Since the list of stems is 269 pages long, however, that means that there are plenty of word stems of different origin.
This is also one of those rare reference books that are a joy just to dip into and read an entry or two.
I would estimate that perhaps 80% of the word stems contained in this book are of Greek origin, either directly or as modified by Latin usage. Since the list of stems is 269 pages long, however, that means that there are plenty of word stems of different origin.
This is also one of those rare reference books that are a joy just to dip into and read an entry or two.
9 of 11 people found the following review helpful
the before & aft of English
10 Dec 2003
Format:Paperback
How often have you seen a technical word & not quite known what it meant? Tired of not really knowing what the ingredients on a food box in the store really are?
OLOGIES AND ISMS by Michael Quinion is a must-have dictionary that will help you decipher the prefixes & suffixes of modern English words.
Rebeccasreads recommends OLOGIES AND ISMS as an important resource for writers, reporters, students, & anyone who plays with words as in Scrabble or crosswords.
2 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Great little book
22 Oct 2005
Format:Paperback
If you enjoy word origins, you will love this book. Very interesting.
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