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An English professor and etymologist (one who investigates the origin and historical development of words), in 1941 Read set out to help some researcher friends working on the Dictionary of American English to discover the origin of the word "O.K." At the time it was thought to have originated as an Indian word, but after years of research for the earliest reference he found it started at a Boston newspaper in 1838 which liked to use playful spellings and abbreviations; "O.K.", according to the paper, meant "oll korrect" (or "all correct".) (He also disproved the Martin Van Buren "Old Kinderhook" legend; Van Buren used that slogan in his re- election well after the 1838 newspaper citation.) Read was a "liberal" grammarian: "The great danger in the use of dictionaries is that they may come to be thought of as straitjackets that prevent the swinging, free enjoyment of the mother tongue," he once wrote. That brought him considerable criticism, with other linguists scoffing Read was "a wrong-side-up pedant" and "standardless sociologist of language." He replied that "Anyone who tries to defend 'the treasure of our tongue' should recognize that a valuable part of the treasure is the colloquial element, localisms and slang." He died in New York on October 16. He was 96. From This is True for 20 October 2002 Suggestions for further reading:
 List Price: $60.00 Amazon Price: $37.80 Editorial Review: This newly updated edition of America's favorite dictionary features revised biographical and geographical entries as well as up-to-date charts and tables for topics such as world currencies and chemical elements. Among the 500 entries new to this update are Amber Alert, blogosphere, gravitino, halo effect, hawala, lycopene, malware, micropolis, proteome, Qi Gong, SARS, shout-out, speed dating, sudoku, Texas hold'em, text message, and wiki. The renowned American Heritage® Usage Panel, a group of more than 200 distinguished writers, scholars, and scientists, offers advice on problems of grammar and style; engaging notes explain word histories and clarify differences among synonyms; thousands of quotations and example sentences show words in context; and elegant definitions are enhanced by 4,000 full-color photographs, drawings, and maps, making this one of the most readable dictionaries available anywhere. This dictionary can also be purchased with a fully loadable Windows® / Mac® CD-ROM that contains the entire text of the updated Fourth Edition, 68,000 audio pronunciations, 1,000 full-color photographs and illustrations, and a college-level thesaurus with more than 260,000 synonyms. The CD-ROM has spell-check capability and can be used in conjunction with any Microsoft® Office application to get definitions at the click of a mouse.  By: Christine Kenneally List Price: $26.95 Amazon Price: $6.99 Editorial Review: A compelling look at the quest for the origins of human language from an accomplished linguist Language is a distinctly human gift. However, because it leaves no permanent trace, its evolution has long been a mystery, and it is only in the last fifteen years that we have begun to understand how language came into being. The First Word is the compelling story of the quest for the origins of human language. The book follows two intertwined narratives. The first is an account of how language developed—how the random and layered processes of evolution wound together to produce a talking animal: us. The second addresses why scientists are at last able to explore the subject. For more than a hundred years, language evolution was considered a scientific taboo. Kenneally focuses on figures like Noam Chomsky and Steven Pinker, along with cognitive scientists, biologists, geneticists, and animal researchers, in order to answer the fundamental question: Is language a uniquely human phenomenon? The First Word is the first book of its kind written for a general audience. Sure to appeal to fans of Steven Pinker’s The Language Instinct and Jared Diamond’s Guns, Germs, and Steel, Kenneally’s book is set to join them as a seminal account of human history.  By: Sol Steinmetz List Price: $14.95 Amazon Price: $10.17 Editorial Review: A fun, new approach to examining etymology! Many common English words started out with an entirely different meaning than the one we know today. For example: The word adamant came into English around 855 C.E. as a synonym for 'diamond,' very different from today's meaning of the word: "utterly unyielding in attitude or opinion." Before the year 1200, the word silly meant "blessed," and was derived from Old English saelig, meaning "happy." This word went through several incarnations before adopting today's meaning: "stupid or foolish." In Semantic Antics, lexicographer Sol Steinmetz takes readers on an in-depth, fascinating journey to learn how hundreds of words have evolved from their first meaning to the meanings used today.  By: Raymond MurphyWilliam R. Smalzer List Price: $36.00 Amazon Price: $23.76 Editorial Review: Grammar in Use Intermediate is a highly successful grammar text known for its clear explanations and innovative format. Each unit in the Student's Book is a two-page spread that teaches a specific grammar point on the left-hand page, and provides practice exercises on the right. A unique combination of reference grammar and practice book, this book can be used as a classroom text or for self-study. The new edition includes an Audio CD and nine units of new material. Two entirely new sections have also been added: Additional Exercises, which give students the opportunity to consolidate what they have learned; and the Study Guide, which helps students figure out which units they need to study. An answer key is now included in the back of the book. An edition without answers is also available. Grammar in Use Intermediate, is suitable for students who are preparing for the TOEFL® Test and other standard examinations.  List Price: $5.95 Amazon Price: $5.95 Editorial Review: The newest title in the popular 100 Words series is an informative and entertaining resource that can help anyone be right on the money when looking for words that will make a point, seal the deal, or just keep folks listening. Chosen by the editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries, these words will appeal to anyone who wants to be a more compelling communicator—as a worker, consumer, advocate, friend, dinner companion, or even as a romantic prospect. The book includes a colorful variety of words, including handy words of just one syllable (such as glib) and words derived from the names of famous people (such as Freudian slip and Machiavellian). There are expressions from popular culture (Catch-22) and words that date back to classical civilization (spartan and stoic). Each word is clearly defined and shown in context with quotations from contemporary sources: magazines, newspapers, broadcast media, movies, and television. For many words, quotations from distinguished authors and speakers are also given and word histories are explained. Like its predecessors in this successful series, 100 Words to Make You Sound Smart provides an affordable and enjoyable way to communicate more effectively. It offers the coveted gift of gab to anyone who needs to "say it right"—and to anyone who wants to sound more articulate. |
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