Words in Time and Place: Exploring Language Through the Historical Thesaurus of the Oxford English DictionaryDid you know that the English language has over 150 words for the adjective 'drunk' developed over 1,000 years? Be prepared to learn words you have never heard before, find out fascinating facts behind everyday words, and be surprised at how lively and varied the English language can be. Published to critical acclaim in 2009, the Historical Thesaurus of the Oxford English Dictionary is the first comprehensive thesaurus in the world to arrange words by meaning in order of first recorded use. Using its unique perspective on how the English language has developed, Words in Time and Place takes 15 themes and explores the language in these areas over time - explaining when new words appeared, where they came from, and what such changes say about times in which they emerged. The themes chosen are varied, universal topics and show the semantic range of the thesaurus and what it can tell us about the words used in areas of everyday life. Learn about the different words for dying and money, or types of pop music, as well as words for a privy, oaths, and words for being drunk. Written by the world's leading expert on the English language, David Crystal, the book carries his trademark style of engaging yet authoritative writing. Each chapter features an introduction to the language of that topic, followed by a timeline of vocabulary taken from the historical thesaurus showing all the synonyms arranged in chronological order. The timelines are annotated with additional quotations, facts, and social and historical context to give a clear sense of how words entered the English language, when, and in which context they were used. Words in Time and Place showcases the unique and excellent resource that is the Historical Thesaurus and reveals the linguistic treasures to be found within. This fascinating book will appeal to anyone with an interest in words and in the development of the English language. |
Contents
| 1 | |
From neb to hooter WORDS FOR NOSE | 21 |
From cupshot toratarsed WORDS FOR BEING DRUNK | 29 |
From meatship to trough and nuncheon to shorteat WORDS FOR A LIGHT MEAL | 57 |
From gong to shitter and closet to the House of Lords WORDS FOR A PRIVY | 71 |
From dizzy to numpty WORDS FOR A FOOL | 85 |
From darling to lambchop TERMS OF ENDEARMENT | 103 |
From lo to knickers and aplight to sapristi OATHS AND EXCLAMATIONS | 117 |
From mint to dosh WORDS FOR MONEY | 169 |
From smolt to untempestuous and reigh to ugly WORDS FOR CALM AND STORMY WEATHER | 187 |
From ealda to geriatric bevar to poppa stoppa and trot to old boot WORDS FOR OLD PERSON OLD MAN OLD WOMAN | 197 |
From skiffle to grime WORDS FOR TYPES OF POP MUSIC | 213 |
From astronaut to Skylab WORDS FOR SPACECRAFT | 237 |
Glossary | 249 |
| 251 | |
Chronological indexes | 252 |
From guest house to B B and hotel to floatel WORDS FOR INNS AND HOTELS | 137 |
From meretrix to parlor girl WORDS FOR A PROSTITUTE | 149 |
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Common terms and phrases
abbreviation adaptation adjective associated Australia became British called Chapter chiefly Cockney rhyming slang coin coinage colloquial common context death described developed drink drunk drunken earliest early eighteenth century England English Dialect Dictionary Eric Partridge especially etymology euphemism euphemistic example expression fool French genre girl glossed HTOED idiom illustrates J-pop jocular John later lexical lexicon literary loanword meal meaning Middle English modern nineteenth century nose notion noun oath Old English one’s onomatopoeic origin P. G. Wodehouse person phrase pop music popular privy probably prostitute punk punk rock recorded usage referring regional dialects rhyming rock music satellite says Scotland seems semantic field sense seventeenth century Shakespeare's single OED citation sixteenth century slang for money slang usage snack someone sound spacecraft spelled story subcategories talks term of endearment thesaurus Thomas translation twentieth century usually variant verb weather woman writer