The accidental dictionary : the remarkable twists and turns of English words

Jones, Paul Anthony, 1983-2016

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Summary

Strange and fascinating stories behind even the most familiar words in the English language. Many words have changed their meaning - often completely - and, as language continues to develop, those stories can say as much about the present as they do the past. Busking, for instance, originally meant obedient. Busking meant piracy. Finance meant to ransom. Focusing on 100 surprising threads in the evolution of English, this book looks at the etymological origins and quirky developments that have led to the meanings we take for granted today.