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The Origins of English Words

A Discursive Dictionary of Indo-European Roots

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The Origins of English Words

By: Joseph Twadell Shipley
Narrated by: Jonathan Todd Ross
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There are no direct records of the original Indo-European speech. By comparing the vocabularies of its various descendants, however, it is possible to reconstruct the basic Indo-European roots with considerable confidence. In The Origins of English Words, Shipley catalogues these proposed roots and follows the often devious, always fascinating, process by which some of their offshoots have grown.

Anecdotal, eclectic, and always enthusiastic, The Origins of English Words is a diverting expedition beyond linguistics into literature, history, folklore, anthropology, philosophy, and science.

©1984 Joseph T. Shipley (P)2023 Tantor Linguistics Social Sciences Words, Language & Grammar
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I was expecting some information regarding the roots and evolution of aspects of the language. Just lists of words and definitions. Very dull. Maybe I misunderstood what I was buying. I would like to return this as there is little chance of me finishing it but it seems that it is not eligible for return.

Just lists of words

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