Where did the words bungalow and assassin derive? What did nice meanin the Middle Ages? How were adder, anger, and umpire originallyspelt? The answers can be found in this essential companion to anypopular dictionary. With over 17,000 entries, this is the mostauthoritative and comprehensive guide to word origins available inpaperback. Based on The Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, theprincipal authority on the origin and development of English words, it contains a wealth of information about our language and its history.
