The Unexpected Evolution of Language: Discover the Surprising Etymology of Everyday Words

Hayes, Justin Cord

This book is awesome awful!Did you know that "awful" first originated as a compliment? How about the fact that it was perfectly fine for someone to defecate in their living room? Or that at one time a bully was actually a sweetheart?You may think that these things sound outlandish, but hundreds of years ago, the words "awful," "defecate," and "bully" meant something entirely different than what we know today. The Unexpected Evolution of Language reveals the origins of 208 everyday terms and the interesting stories behind their shift in meaning.Arranged in alphabetical order, you will enjoy uncovering the backstories to terms like:Awful - worthy of respect or fear; inspiring aweBimbo - slang for a stupid, inconsequential manDefecate - to purify; cleanseInvest - to clothe; to dressNice - foolish; stupidRelay - hunting term meaning fresh pack of houndsFrom "aftermath" and "sophisticated" to "empty" and "prestige," you will aboslutely love seeing just what kind of damage time has done to the English language.

EAN

9781440542787

Publisher

Adams Media Corporation

Published

18 October 2012

Pages

240