The Illustrated Etymologicon
A Circular Stroll Through the Hidden Connections of the English Language
The Illustrated Etymologicon is a dizzying, delightful trip through the evolution and accidents of language.
You could not be impassive or loquacious without John Milton; they’re two of the many states that the puritanical poet coined terms to describe. The sky and clouds were once the same; and the guillotine, a symbol of viciousness, was so named to commemorate a man’s compassion. You can’t tootle or trample just a little; and turkeys are so called because of a geographical misunderstanding, just like the pejorative for Roma rests in mistaken beliefs about the travelers’ origins (not all Egyptian after all).
These are a few of the truths revealed in the tenth-anniversary edition of linguaphile Mark Forsyth’s beguiling, amusing, winding story about how words came into being. With a flow that seems somewhat extemporaneous, bound only by the pleasure taken in words’ connections and histories, it winks and reveals the stories behind a bevy of terms that we take for granted. There are a fair number of scatological, gross, and biological explanations—you’ll be shocked to learn how many words tie back to flatulence. Pen-and-ink drawings, their style steampunk and charming, illuminate this glorious exploration, which runs the gamut from gambling to astrology to bucks, rounding it all out with a fun quiz to further tickle linguistic interests.
Reviewed by
Michelle Anne Schingler
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
