Semantic Antics: How and Why Words Change Meaning
Customer Reviews
Rated 5 starsGreat stories about words!
I wish I could write like Sol Steinmetz! Changes in the meanings of words are so interesting, but it is often hard to segue and make it from one usage to another in telling the stories. But Sol Steinmetz is a master of this. His research is impeccable and the supporting quotations are helpful and illuminating. This is enjoyable and educational for all word lovers.
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Rated 5 starsWords To Live By
Who would have thought words like "nice" and "pretty" meant something completely different hundreds of years ago or that "satellite" referred to a bodyguard? In this extraordinary yet compact book, "Semantic Antics", Sol Steinmetz reviews dozens of words and how they have evolved over time. It's a simple formula...the author presents a word, gives the current and original meanings, describes from what language it is derived...
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Rated 5 starsReview by a connoisseur of the English language
I got this book for a friend who is a connoisseur of the English language -- her post-graduate work was on its ancestral beginnings, she taught it in academia, and she was the top techwriter for a major Fortune 100 corporation for 20 years. Here is her assessment: "At last, a book about the evolution of the English language that is written in a breezy, interesting style! Whether you have an academic or a casual interest...
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