This new edition is concerned primarily with the learned vocabulary of English - the words borrowed from the classical languages. It surveys the historical events that define the layers of vocabulary in English, introduces some of the basic principles of linguistic analysis, and is a helpful manual for vocabulary discernment and enrichment. The new edition has been updated with a discussion of the most recent trends of blending and shortening associated with texting and other forms of electronic communication and includes a new classification of the types of allomorphy.
Liberty and Law: Kantian Essays in Theory and Practice
Jeffrie G. Murphy's third collection of essays further pursues the topics of punishment and retribution that were explored in his two previous collections: Retribution, Justice and Therapy and Retribution Reconsidered. Murphy now explores these topics in the light of reflections on issues that are normally associated with religion: forgiveness, mercy, and repentance.
The book provides an introduction to the myriad ways in which people celebrate and the meanings attached to these traditions. It presents the background of 323 holidays and describes more than 1000 symbols and customs associated with them. The entries are arranged alphabetically by holiday name, with detailed information on the origin and meaning of a particular holiday.
The great civilizations of Latin America were devastated after the arrival of the conquistadors and later the European colonizers, who created a society that was characterized by extreme differences between rich and poor - a legacy that continues to plague Latin America to a strong degree today. Although Latin American nations are no longer ruled by military dictatorships and have embraced democracy, social problems associated with the large income gap, such as poverty, landlessness and crime are pervasive.
Created about a century ago, the term eponym is itself a coinage from two Greek words, epi, "on" or "upon," and onama, "a name." But its broadened meaning, as dictionaries set it out, refers to a word derived from a proper name. For instance, Salisbury steak--a popular diner menu item created from common hamburger and dressed up with brown gravy to make it more appealing--is named for James H. Salisbury, an English physician who promoted a diet of ground beef.
A Dictionary of Eponyms explores the origins of hundreds of these everyday words from Argyle socks to zeppelins. Written in an entertaining and anecdotal style, and with a foreword by Edwin Newman, the book includes a brief biography of the individual whose name became associated with an item or concept as well as information on how and when the name entered the language. If you've ever wondered just where terms like cardigan sweater, pamphlet, and robot come from, Morton Freeman does more than simply define them--he brings them to life.
