Reviews (2)

Reading Specialist
This is a very helpful book for ESL Kindergarteners!I have all the Words Their Way books and have used them at every grade level in my elementary school.

A MUST for K-2 teachers.
Like the other Words their Way materials, this volume continues the wonderful tradition of combining excellent teaching ideas with theblack line masters so you can use the strategies immediately.This level is especially appropriate for students learning letter/sound relationships.It gives dozens of poems and stories which have sorts to support teaching them.There are old faithfuls such as "It's raining, it's pouring" to new poems that teach phonemic awareness, rhyming, visual discrimination and sight words. My favorite is the alphabet printed in several different fonts so students can learn all the ways 'A' might look. I wish I had this 21 years ago when I started teaching.I use it daily now. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Education    2. Education / Teaching    3. English Etymology    4. English Phonetics    5. English language    6. Language Experience Approach    7. Orthography and spelling    8. Phonetic method    9. Reading    10. Teaching Methods & Materials - Reading    11. Word recognition    12. Education / Teaching Methods & Materials / Reading    13. English    14. Teaching of a specific subject   

Reviews (8)

Good for review your general grammar knowledge
I'M A SPANISH SPEAKER THAT WAS SEEKING FOR A BOOK THAT BEGINS ABOVE THE BEGINNERS LEVEL. THIS BOOK BEGINS WITH MORE COMPLEXGRAMMAR.

A Great Self-Study Book
This is a great book for those who have exposed themselves in English speaking environment for quite a while and have got a basic English grammar knowledge,but always get confused by some "casual" grammar problems or something out of the expectations that you have learned from those"regular" grammar rules. In a word, this book rather focuson those "irregular"English grammar phenomenon that usedby those native speakers in their everyday life.
Great for practicing.
Once you will have it, you only need to read and to practice. Very explicit book, and great for the people how understand the English but doesn't knows the rules. Also I recommend to buy an idiom book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. English as a Second Language    2. Etymology    3. Grammar    4. Language    5. Language Arts & Disciplines    6. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    7. Teaching Methods & Materials - Language Arts    8. ELT grammars & grammar practice    9. English    10. Foreign Language Study / English as a Second Language   

Subjects:  1. English language    2. Etymology    3. Reference    4. Vocabulary    5. Vocabulary Development    6. Word Lists    7. Reference / Word Lists   

Reviews (1)

Great Reference
An unbelieveable source of reliance great for research and guidelines on assignments.A teacher at home.Easy to understand and the writer is very dedicated to in helping educate.The MLA format is also shown whiledescription of verbs, tenses and subjects are given in chapters of depth. I strongly recommend this book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Composition & Creative Writing - General    2. English language    3. Etymology    4. Grammar    5. Handbooks, manuals, etc    6. Language    7. Language Arts & Disciplines    8. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    9. Problems, exercises, etc    10. Reference    11. Usage    12. Language Arts & Disciplines / Composition & Creative Writing    13. Writing & editing guides   

Subjects:  1. Education / Teaching    2. Elementary    3. English Etymology    4. English Orthography    5. English language    6. Etymology    7. Language    8. Language Arts & Disciplines    9. Orthography and spelling    10. Problems, exercises, etc    11. Roots    12. Spelling    13. Teaching Methods & Materials - Reading    14. Education    15. Education / Teaching Methods & Materials / Reading    16. English    17. Industrial or vocational training    18. Modern languages: reading skills    19. Primary / junior schools   

Reviews (1)

A lovely little treat
This is an inexpensive and enjoyable little book that you can absorb in an afternoon, but spend months returning to enjoy.Some of the words are common, some are uncommon, and some I had never heard before.
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Subjects:  1. English language    2. Etymology    3. Reference    4. Vocabulary    5. Word Lists    6. Reference / General   

Reviews (5)

Should be reprinted if not improved!
Over thirty years ago I begun developing the habit of consulting etymological dictionaries whenever I wanted to deepen my understanding of words. I equipped myself with several etymological dictionaries in each of the three languages I use: spanish, french and english (which share many words). Over the years and independently of the language that triggered a given search, I found myself increasingly going FIRST to Partridge's ORIGINS (acquired in 1977) and often feeling no need of consulting another dictionary.
A "must have" book
If you love the English language and are truly very curious about the meanings of its words as reflected in the evolution of its origins and meanings, this is a "must have" book. I have used the 1966 issue of it for years now, and rate it more useful, although a companion book, to the seminal work of Walter Skeat. No library can realistically be said to be complete,nor can any lover of the English language, without both of these works.

interesting resource
A little complex to use but once you get into it it can be fun.Set up like a dictionary so you need to thumb through it.Interesting resource though ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Bargain Books    2. Dictionaries    3. English language    4. Etymology    5. Linguistics    6. Sale Books - Adult    7. Non-Classifiable    8. Sale Books   

Editorial Review

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Reviews (5)

How to obtain the workbook?
The book is a veritable treasure chest of the English language.My only objection, why is the workbook that is written for this book not available online?Where can it be obtained?I have tried the quickreference site, but it does not have it for sale there.

QuickReference.com
Wow.What an interesting vocabulary book.Obviously, the author has spent years of hard work writing this book.I love studying root words.Once you understand the root of the word, the rest is easy....Pterodactyl.. Pter=wing + dactyl=finger, gives you "winged finger".Helicopter... helico=circular + pter=wing, gives your "circular wing."This book really makes learning vocabulary fun and easy. He also has a web site at http://www.quickreference.com
A Comprehensive Dictionry Arranged by Word Roots
I am using this book with 7th and 8th grade remedial students and it is working beautifully.The book is easy to use and the examples are revelant and save time. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Dictionaries    2. Dictionaries - General    3. General    4. Language Arts & Disciplines / Vocabulary    5. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    6. Reference    7. Vocabulary    8. English    9. Etymology    10. Language Arts    11. Words & Language   

Reviews (6)

I Did Very Well in My Beginning Greek class with this Book!
I decided to take classes in Biblical languages at the Lutheran university I attend. Our class used Voelz's Greek Grammar as a text book. I had already worked through Mounce's Grammar, and so I decided to use this book to help learn the forms that we would go through much better. I not only learned the forms better, but by the end of the class, the teacher said that I was tempting him to study Morphology in this much depth!
Essential if you want to use Greek long term
If you want to use Greek to learn, teach or study the New Testament, this book is essential for the long term.
Excellant as a reference but don't get bogged down
There is no doubt that this is an excellant resource and if you master it you will really know Greek.My experience was that I got bogged down in it.At some point I found reading and understanding the why more difficult than just memorizing it.It's intended as a reference tool and that is how it's best used early in your Greek - use occasionally but mostly just read the Greek and figure it out.After some practice you can read the Greek without having to think about what form it is or why, you just know it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Bible - Language Studies    2. Religion    3. Religion - Biblical Studies - Language    4. Ancient (Classical) Greek    5. Biblical studies, criticism & exegesis    6. Christian Interest    7. Etymology    8. Morphology    9. Religion / Bibles / Greek   

Reviews (19)

Look it up!
While finishing up a PhD at Cambridge and preparing to move back to my country of origin, one of the small but solid griefs of that process was saying goodbye to the familiar Oxford English Dictionary, whose massive volumes lay 13 steps to the right of my desk in Cambridge's Tyndale House Library. In the three and a half years before that parting, I must have worn a rut in the carpeting during my frequent and satisfying sallies to the OED for help, rescue, and - occasionally - delightful surprise.
The last desktop dictionary you will ever need.
This edition lives up to its larger predicessor. The New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary claims to have every word in use since the eighteenth century. While I doubt it tp be that complete, I have never failed to find an entry. Like all of the Oxford series, this Shorter Dictionary includes notes on usage, other forms, and for certain words lengthy examples from prominent literary works for the time. This is definitely not a quick reference book, although its two 1500-page volumes are more convenient than the full version. Stop playing around...
...and get yourself a real dictionary. A practical, affordable alternative to the 20 volume Oxford, it has 98% of the day-to-day utility in 1/10 the bulk and cost. Only after some use will you fully appreciate the superiority of the ultra-concise definitions (not just synonyms!), etymology (including early/original use) and usage tips. If you love the English language and want to use it both correctly and subtly, this is an exceptional aid. Beware, however, of the tendency to lose yourself in its pages! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Dictionaries    2. Dictionaries - General    3. English Language Dictionaries    4. English language    5. Etymology    6. Literary Criticism    7. Reference    8. English    9. Reference | English Dictionaries   

Reviews (18)

Not Just For Fun
I found 'Fun With Chinese Characters', as well as the rest of Tan's work, easy to read, informative, and very helpful in learning Chinese.
Outstanding Work for a Number of Reasons
This book (with its two companion volumes) is a wonderful work for a number of reasons.Its introductory essay (a nine page historical overview of Chinese characters, emphasizing their phonetic-radical structure) is worth the price of the book all by itself.The cartoon drawings are artful and evocative.The generative and mnemonic entries are informative, historically based, and sublimely written.The work emphasizes simplified characters but supports traditional characters as well.It has examples of modern usage.
Awsome as a study aid!
This is a really fun book. I'm currently in my first year of chinese and really enjoy using this book outside of school. My teacher recommended it to me. It illustrates characters that normally seem difficult in a fun way. This isn't the best choice for someone who is not taking chinese in a class but independantly. It doesn't give much detail on how to use the words. It's just like an interactive dictionary. I absolutely love it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Chinese    2. Chinese language    3. Etymology    4. Foreign Language - Dictionaries / Phrase Books    5. Glossaries, vocabularies, etc    6. Language    7. Language Arts & Disciplines    8. Translating & Interpreting   

Reviews (1)

Pre-eminentDictionary of its type
Sir Monier Monier Williams work is definitelythe classic book of it's kind. In some respects, the work here has been surpassed by other references, but it has never been out-classed. In a rather perverse way, the Process of looking up a Sanskrit word gets easier as you know the word you are looking for in the book. This is hard to articulate given the nature of the Sanskritlanguage, so in a real sense , you need a range of other books as well as this dictionary; these would include, a Verbal Root book, a Classical grammer[sp?], as well as a Mediaeval grammer, since many popular texts come from the so-called mediaeval period... viz., the PURANAS.
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Subjects:  1. Ancient Languages - General    2. Foreign Language - Dictionaries / Phrase Books    3. Reference    4. Bilingual dictionaries    5. English    6. Sanskrit   

Reviews (2)

An essential resource
Williams has a point of view that readers must take into account, but perhaps all lexicographers should be as overt about their assumptions as he is in this eminently readable historical glossary of the terms that shape Western thought.It's a good idea when you are writing anything to stop at some point and look up Williams' account of a few of the words that you have been using -- it's guaranteed to focus the mind.

a unique book
one of its kind; it is not a dictionary (not even a technical one); it is not a book on the etimology of words; it will hardly improve your talking skills. Rather, it is a fascinating book on the constant change of culture and how this is reflected in everyday (and not so everyday) words of the English language. You will walk away humble, overwhelmed by the richness and the violence of culture's impact on words. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Culture    2. English Etymology    3. English language    4. Etymology    5. Fiction    6. Glossaries, vocabularies, etc    7. Language    8. Linguistics    9. Reference    10. Semiotics & Theory    11. Short Stories (single author)    12. Sociolinguistics    13. Vocabulary    14. Language Arts & Disciplines / Linguistics    15. Linguistics | Sociolinguistics & Anthropological Linguistics   

Reviews (1)

Another Genealogy Gem
George Fraser Black, Ph.D., compiled this listing of Scottish surnames from public and other records of Scotland throughout the centuries.An impressive and detailed bibliography lists his sources.The listing includes all the variations of spelling for each name, the date when it appeared and the location, and some insights or explanation, where appropriate.The 838 page volume includes a Glossary of Obsolete or Uncommon Scots Words. This is an invaluable reference for anyone interested in Scottish genealogy. It can quickly aid the person who is unsure whether his or her ancestry is Irish or Scottish.I highly recommend this book and am proud to have it in my library. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Etymology    2. History / Europe / Western    3. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    4. Reference    5. Reference / Genealogy    6. Europe - Western    7. Genealogy    8. History    9. Names, Personal    10. Scotland   

Reviews (1)

Wonderful Reasearch on Semitic and Indo-European Etymology
At first, I was not interested so much in the Hamito-Semitic family and Indo-European.However, I was deeply impressed on the field of Semitic and Indo-European etymology because of this book. I have also Hermann Mueller's"Vergleichendes indogermanisch-semitisches Woerterbuch" publishedby Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht (This one is available in amazon.de,Germany). Hermann Mueller's is really valuable one. But it is just adictionary. Read more

Subjects:  1. Etymology    2. Language    3. Language Arts & Disciplines    4. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    5. Language and languages    6. Linguistics   

Reviews (2)

Capturing English idiom in the wild: Red Herrings and White Elephants
This book explores the origin of common phrases used in every day speech.
So that's where that saying comes from
I find these stories about expressions we use, like giving someone the whole nine yards, absolutely fascinating, and this book has hundreds of them, usefully organized.I even like paging through it for fifteen minutes before going to sleep, like having bite sized short stories.Great source for cocktail party conversation, and might make you seem very learned indeed. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. English Etymology    2. English Language History    3. English language    4. Etymology    5. Language    6. Language Arts & Disciplines    7. Linguistics    8. Reference    9. Terms and phrases    10. Trivia    11. Reference / General   

Reviews (3)

Helpful in the naming game
The best thing about this book was something that I saw in no other book.One of the ways we were looking at to name our child was to find words (or the meaning of the names for those we were naming for) and finding the hebrew word that meant that.This is the only book with a dictionary in the back of words (i.e., if you look up song, you will find Shira, if you look up Strong, you will find Ethan).So it was helpful when we were looking at naming in that way.There are so many names in here, it is great - not all of them are Jewish, per se, but all names seem to be in the book.It was extremely helpful in naming our child!

dislikes of internet sells
I wanted to take a quick look over the internet but the people who programed this site will not let you scan the book for one second. It is sad that you would have to by the book just to look for one sorry thing. And I am ashamed at the situation.And at the creaters of this site for not giving anyone the chance to look before they buy.

A complete Jewish-American name book.
I found this book to be the best, most complete book of names for an English-speaking parent-to-beof Jewish heritage.Everything is included: English/Anglo-Saxon/American (even some Spanish and French), and of course, Yiddish, Biblical/Talmudic, and Israeli names. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Baby Names    2. English    3. English language    4. Etymology    5. Hebrew Language    6. Jewish    7. Judaism - General    8. Names    9. Names, Personal    10. Reference    11. Religion - Judaism   

Subjects:  1. English language    2. Etymology    3. Language    4. Language Arts & Disciplines    5. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    6. Linguistics    7. Language Arts & Disciplines / Etymology    8. Literature/English   

Editorial Review

Learn about the hidden and often surprising histories of and connections between English words and their non-English ancestors. Perhaps the best inexpensive etymological dictionary available today. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Wonderful!
This is a wonderful book! It is indispensable to students or anyone who reads books that have been written in the past, or for those with a curious nature.
If the OED seems to obtuse for you...
...Then this is the book you want. Outside of the Oxford English Dictionary, it's the best (and least expensive) etymological reference I've come across, even better than The Oxford Dictioary of Word Histories, published by Oxford University Press.
Great For Word-Clearing
Since buying this book I use it continually to get a real conceptual understanding. Its derivations are vastly better than most dictionaries and written in simple English with almost no symbols.Read more

Subjects:  1. Dictionaries    2. Dictionaries - General    3. English language    4. Etymology    5. General    6. Linguistics    7. Reference    8. Reference / General   

Reviews (12)

Bragg's English
Melvin Bragg is the somewhat notorious want-to-know-it-all host of the BBC4 show "In Our Time" that tries to have intelligent expositions on history, science, the arts and philosophy mainly, but not always, with an eye towards the past. In the areas where I have some knowledge, I know he -- and less excusably his guests -- get lost in the weeds quite often which makes me wonder about his scholarship generally. His weakest suit seems modern sciences.
Excellent Introduction to the English Language
In this book Melvyn Bragg presents, in an easy to read style, the story of the evolution of the English language.Starting with the origins of Old English in the fifth century, he describes the impact on the language of the Viking invasion of England in the ninth century,the enormous effect of the victory of the french-speaking Normans over the Anglo-Saxons at the Battle of Hastings, the breakthrough of Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, how the publication of various bibles spread English to the households of Britain, and Shakespeare's preeminent impact on the development of the language.The focus then shifts to the influence on English of colonial America, the Wild West, African Americans, the Indian subcontinent, the Caribbean and Australia.His central thesis is that English is uniquely adaptive, absorbing other languages with which it comes into contact, thereby growing and becoming richer and more expressive.
You could have it so much better
I expected better.I find it odd, actually, that this book is rated so highly.The book is easy to read, but it's very basic.The history is vague.The story, this 'adventure', does not flow well at all.Some topics were skimmed over and others jabbered on and on about.Sure, the content is informative enough, but the way it's written is ridiculous.Bragg's style is just... weird.It's sensationalist at times ('OMFG.The French invaded!How did the best language on the planet ever manage to survive?' [not a direct quote]), at others laughably sentimental in its personification of English.And Bragg uses 'I think' a lot.
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Subjects:  1. English language    2. Etymology    3. General    4. History    5. Language    6. Language Arts & Disciplines    7. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    8. Linguistics    9. Literary Criticism & Collections / General