Etymological dictionary

Question

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

Usenet · Accepted 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. 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 the "intermediate" stages, and names the Indo-European root, in the form of a link to a page about that root.
I use this starting page:
http://www.bartleby.com/61/
A tip: remember to use the search box that's in the middle of that page, marked "Entry Word". The box at the upper right generates too many false hits. (And the box at the bottom marked "Search Amazon" is totally wrong, naturally, yet I've used it absent-mindedly a few times.)

Best wishes Donna Richoux

Usenet · Answer

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?
You can enter words at the online American Heritage and Merriam-Webster sites. They both usually give pretty good etymologies back to Latin or Greek (and in between). The American Heritage will also go back to Proto IE. The first edition included the "Roots" as an appendix, and I believe the current fourth edition does too.

You can see a few pages of the Indo-European Roots book at Amazon. Use "Search Inside" and "Excerpts".
If you want a British slant, examine other dictionaries mentioned in the FAQ.
Richard Maurer To reply, remove half
Sunnyvale, California of a homonym of a synonym for also.

Usenet · Answer

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 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

Usenet · Answer

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

Usenet · Answer

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 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.
Harm Tuenter

Usenet · Answer

[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)

Usenet · Answer

[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 Concise Etymological Dictionary of the English Language (1882, revised 1910).
Skeat is hardly modern, but it does try tracing back to PIE and has several useful appendices.
There is also
Onions, C.T. et al.,
The Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology , (1966). This is bit heftier. Onions and his colleagues Friedrichsen and Burchfield are well known to OED users.
The AHD4 appendices pertaining to IE are drawn from Watkins, Calvert,
The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo-European Roots , (2nd. ed. 2000).
A major advantage to the AHD4 is addition of Huenergard's essay on Proto-Semitic with Appendix II of Semitic Roots.

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