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Usenet Posted 22 years ago
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Etymological dictionary

Hello,
can anyone recommend an etymological dictionary of modern English to me? So far I had no luck finding something adequate. What I roughly expect, is a dictionary that traces the roots of the words back to the reconstructed Indo-European and Germanic language (where possible). Additionally, I would like to see the changes the word has undergone, so it would be helpful to have the Middle English and Old English usage of the words (again, if they exist) listed, or the original term in the language the word has been borrowed from (Latin, French, etc.).

The dictionary does not have to cover an extraordinary amount of words, as long as the etymology is sound and thorough.

I was considering buying the "The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo-European Roots" as the FAQ recommended, but considering that I live in Germany and will hardly find it in a bookstore in order to flip through it and get a first impression of it, I don't know if it fits my expectations. Does the "American Heritage..." give only the Indo-European roots, or also intermediate states of the word?
Thanks in advance,
Veronika
  

Top answer

[nq:1]Hello, can anyone recommend an etymological dictionary of modern English to me? So far I had no luck finding something ... it fits my expectations.

  • [nq:1]Hello, can anyone recommend an etymological dictionary of modern English to me?
  • So far I had no luck finding something ...
  • it fits my expectations.
  • [/nq] The American Heritage dictionary is on-line, so you can use it there.
  • Usually, the etymology that follows the defintions gives the "intermediate" stages, and names the Indo-European root, in the form of a link to a page about that root.
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7 Answers
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[nq:1]Hello, can anyone recommend an etymological dictionary of modern English to me? So far I had no luck finding something ... it fits my expectations. Does the "American Heritage..." give only the Indo-European roots, or also intermediate states of the word?[/nq]
The American Heritage dictionary is on-line, so you can use it there. Usually, the etymology that follows the defintions gives th
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can anyone recommend an etymological dictionary of modern English to me? So far I had no luck finding something adequate. What I roughly expect, is a dictionary that traces the roots of the words back to the reconstructed Indo-European and Germanic language (where possible). Additionally, I would like to see the changes the word has undergone, so it would be helpful to have the Middle English and
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Oxford English Dictionary - the 2 volume 'shorter' (as opposed to 20+ volume full version) is worth a look. Traces roots to Greek, Latin, Old English, French, German, Nordic etc. Also provides quotes from English literature for nuances.
Yes, I am one of those sick individuals who reads it for fun.
Hello,
can anyone recommend an etymological dictionary of modern English to me? So far I
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I just want to thank everyone for their invaluable input. I now have a base to examine all of the recommended dictionaries more closely.

Bye,
Veronika
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Bloke (Email Removed) schreef in berichtnieuws
[nq:1]Hello, can anyone recommend an etymological dictionary of modern English to me? So far I had no luck finding something ... Also provides quotes from English literaturefor nuances. Yes, I am one of those sick individuals who reads it for fun.[/nq]
So do I with "Oxford Concise Dictionary of English Etymology" (ed. T.F. hoad; publ. Oxford U
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[nq:1]can anyone recommend an etymological dictionary of modern English?[/nq]
The Oxford English Dictionary was created more
than a century ago for this purpose. It aims to
document all precedents since the earliest, and
is nowadays available on line (but not cheaply.)

Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)
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[nq:1]So do I with "Oxford Concise Dictionary of English Etymology" (ed. T.F. hoad; publ. Oxford University Press; ISBN 0-19-283098-8). Indo european roots: yes. Intermediate forms: yes, in stages of English as well as the original languages. Also cross-references a lot.[/nq]
I don't have a copy of Hoad, but I believe it to be a revision (1993 is the latest) of
Skeat, Walter W.,
A Conc

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