Long Words Bother Me by Tom Burton

Long Words Bother Me by Tom Burton

'Long words bother me' confessed Winnie the Pooh, but the fact is that the short ones are just as problematic. This book is about the craziness of words, and how they can change their meanings in the most unpredictable ways over time. Synonyms can become antonyms and words that sound different can turn into homonyms. They can die for no apparent reason. Any they can't be controlled: today's error is tomorrow's accepted form. But most of all, they are fascinating. How is it, for example, that monks in the Middle Ages were able to call the Virgin Mary buxom and daft without either admiring her figure or impuning her innocence? Why would an Anglo-Saxon warrior have been thrilled if hit by a Viking spear? And why can't sledging be kept off the cricket field?

Tom Burton studied English at the University of Bristol before moving to Australia. He is now a Reader in English at the University of Adelaide, specialising in medieval English literature and the history of the language.

SKU	Nicht verfügbar
ISBN 13	9780750939737
ISBN 10	0750939737
Titel	Long Words Bother Me
Autor	Tom Burton
Buchzustand	Nicht verfügbar
Bindungsart	Paperback
Verlag	The History Press Ltd
Erscheinungsjahr	2004-11-11
Seitenanzahl	272
Hinweis auf dem Einband	Die Abbildung des Buches dient nur Illustrationszwecken, die tatsächliche Bindung, das Cover und die Auflage können sich davon unterscheiden.
Hinweis	Nicht verfügbar