English is an ever-changing language, and over the centuries very many words have acquired a new sense or gained an unexpectedly different meaning. This important new dictionary charts the sense developments of over 1300 such words, explaining the various meanings that have evolved and illustrating the differing usages with a large number of appropriate quotations from contemporary or later sources.
The reader of this entertaining and original dictionary will find many surpries: upset originally meant set up, and glimmer meant shine brightly. Similarly, bully once meat darling, and initially with meant against. The many entries contain much of fascinating information about the origins and etymologies of words, so that the reader can also discover, for instance, why a grocer is so called (he sold things by the gross), how a secretary acquired the name (as one entrusted with secrets), and how a pantechnicon originated as an All Arts Exhibition in London. Particularly interesting are words such as daft, devous and hussy that have today acquired a derogatory meaning, or such as wise, shrewd and success, the opposite words that formerly did not have the favorable sense.
The entries give not only the different meanings and examples of their usage, but the approximate century when each new sense emerged(or disappeared). The reader can thus trace a word's history from the time it entered the language down to the present day.
还没人写过短评呢
还没人写过短评呢