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  • The Etymologicon

  • A Circular Stroll Through the Hidden Connections of the English Language
  • Written by: Mark Forsyth
  • Narrated by: Don Hagen
  • Length: 7 hrs and 1 min
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (19 ratings)

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The Etymologicon cover art

The Etymologicon

Written by: Mark Forsyth
Narrated by: Don Hagen
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Publisher's Summary

Do you know why…

a mortgage is literally a death pledge? …why guns have girls’ names? …why salt is related to soldier?

You’re about to find out…

The Etymologicon (e-t?-‘mä-lä-ji-kän) is:

*Witty (wi-te\): Full of clever humor

*Erudite (er-?-dit): Showing knowledge

*Ribald (ri-b?ld): Crude, offensive

The Etymologicon is a completely unauthorized guide to the strange underpinnings of the English language. It explains: How you get from “gruntled” to “disgruntled”; why you are absolutely right to believe that your meager salary barely covers “money for salt”; how the biggest chain of coffee shops in the world (hint: Seattle) connects to whaling in Nantucket; and what precisely the Rolling Stones have to do with gardening.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2012 Mark Forsyth (P)2014 Gildan Media LLC
Education & Learning Etymology English
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What the critics say

“The stocking filler of the season...how else to describe a book that explains the connection between Dom Perignon and Mein Kampf.” ( The Observer)
“Crikey...this is addictive!” ( The Times)

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