An Etymological Dictionary of the English Language

Practical and reliable, this well-known reference traces English words back to their Indo-European roots. Each entry features a brief definition, identifies the actual or probable language of origin, and employs a few quotations that indicate usage and the period at which the word entered into English parlance. Numerous cross-references enable readers to collect all the forms of any given term, and extensive editorial apparatus includes lists of prefixes, suffixes, Indo-European roots, homonyms and doublets, and the distribution of English-language sources. Useful not only to students of comparative philogy and early English, this volume will intrigue everyone with an interest in the origin, history, and development of the English language.