279 pages
English language
Published 2012 by Berkley Books.
a circular stroll through the hidden connections of the English language
Mark Forsyth: The etymologicon (2012, Berkley Books)
279 pages
English language
Published 2012 by Berkley Books.
Springing from writer and journalist Mark Forsyth's hugely popular blog The Inky Fool and including word-connection parlour games perfect for any word-lovers get-together, The Etymologicon is a brilliant map of the secret labyrinth that lurks beneath the English language. There's always a connection. Sometimes, it's obvious: an actor's role was once written on a roll of parchment, and cappuccinos are the same color as the robes of a Capuchin monk. Sometimes the connection is astonishing and a little more hidden: who would have guessed that your pants and panties are named after Saint Pantaleon, the all-compassionate?