Where did the words bungalow and assassin derive? What did nice mean in theMiddle Ages? How were adder, anger, and umpire originally spelled? The answerscan be found in this essential companion to any popular dictionary. With over 17,000 entries, this is the most authoritative and comprehensiveguide to word origins available in paperback. Based on The Oxford Dictionaryof English Etymology, the principal authority on the origin and development ofEnglish words, it contains a wealth of information about our language and itshistory. For example, readers will learn that bungalow originally meantbelonging to Bengal, that assassin comes from the Arabic for Hashish-eater, and that nice meant foolish or stupid in the thirteenth century,coy or shy in the fifteenth. And adder, anger, and umpire were originallyspelled with an initial n. These are but a few of the fascinating tidbitsfound in this dictionary, which is a must for anyone interested in therichness of the English language.Where did the words bungalow and assassinderive? What did nice mean in the Middle Ages? How were adder, anger, andumpire originally spelled? The answers can be found in this essentialcompanion to any popular dictionary. With over 17,000 entries, this is the most authoritative and comprehensiveguide to word origins available in paperback. Based on The Oxford Dictionaryof English Etymology, the principal authority on the origin and development ofEnglish words, it contains a wealth of information about our language and itshistory. For example, readers will learn that bungalow originally meantbelonging to Bengal, that assassin comes from the Arabic for Hashish-eater, and that nice meant foolish or stupid in the thirteenth century,coy or shy in the fifteenth. And adder, anger, and umpire were originallyspelled with an initial n. These are but a few of the fascinating tidbitsfound in this dictionary, which is a must for anyone interested in therichness of the