Sunday, August 22, 2010

For Would-Be Etymologists


Dictionary.com has started blogging.

See the Hot Word Blog if you find the origin of words interesting as its lessons are somewhat spunkier than reading straight through a etymological dictionary.

Even though I do in fact joyously indulge in the latter....I've personally found the Hot Word Blog a decent read.

I'm going to rerun one of my favorite Will Durant quotes.  From the Age of Faith:

By adding French and Latin to its German base, English could triply express any one of a thousand ideas (kingly, royal, regal; twofold, double, duplex; daily, journal, diurnal,...); to this it owes its wealth of discriminating synonyms and verbal nuances. He who should know the history of words would know all history.

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