Preview

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The Origins of English Words

By: Joseph Twadell Shipley
Narrated by: Jonathan Todd Ross
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $30.09

Buy for $30.09

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

There are no direct records of the original Indo-European speech. By comparing the vocabularies of its various descendants, however, it is possible to reconstruct the basic Indo-European roots with considerable confidence. In The Origins of English Words, Shipley catalogues these proposed roots and follows the often devious, always fascinating, process by which some of their offshoots have grown.

Anecdotal, eclectic, and always enthusiastic, The Origins of English Words is a diverting expedition beyond linguistics into literature, history, folklore, anthropology, philosophy, and science.

©1984 Joseph T. Shipley (P)2023 Tantor
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

What listeners say about The Origins of English Words

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    2
  • 4 Stars
    0
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    2
  • 4 Stars
    0
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    1
Story
  • 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1
  • 4 Stars
    0
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

The best "Read the Dictionary" on Audible

This is a book published in 1984 by the then 90-year-old author. The English professor died in 1988 and thus missed the 1989 publication of the second edition of the Oxford English Dictionary, OED2.

Quagmire, quacksalver, Quakers, Quaker-gun. Frequently within the book will be a series of related words, and then details about the origins about the words, some related stories, and their use in literature. The OED was heavily referenced while putting together this book. Vivify, viable, viper from their trait of birthing their offspring alive, revive, vitality, victuals.

Amazingly, it comes off as lively, with a factoid you likely haven't heard before every minute. The narrator does a great job of it. However, there are occasional places where the asides are cryptic. "Ad infinitum, as heard with the fleas..." The author is referencing a Jonathan Swift poem.
So, Nat'ralists observe, a Flea
Hath smaller Fleas that on him prey,
And these have smaller yet to bite 'em,
And so proceed ad infinitum:

But most references are giving fully. Likely, this book has a larger vocabulary than anything else on Audible.

Recommended.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Soooooo boring

This book was so boring that I could only listened to it a little over 2 hours. I couldn't fathom listening to it for 36 hours. I love anything to do with etymology but this book was..... well, it was outdated (since it was published a while ago, I'll let that slide) and written in the most boring manner. The narrater's performance didn't help either. I wish I could return it for a refund! I wasted my 1 credit for it. I guess I could use it as my "sleep aid."

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!