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"The Secret Life of Words — How English Became English" by Henry Hitchings (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 440 pages, $27)
Without words we wouldn't have much to say. We would have even less to write about.
The English language is a magnificent thing. Have you ever wondered how it came to be and how it has changed over centuries? Henry Hitchings addresses these notions in a sweeping new study, "The Secret Life of Words — How English Became English."
His previous book, "Defining the World," was the story of the first notable English lexicographer, Samuel Johnson. This ambitious new work digs down to the roots of our language, exposing the forces that shaped it and made it what it is today.
English is ever changing. New words come into usage. Some last. Some drop by the wayside. "The Secret Life of Words" contains fascinating information on "the world's most widespread language."
Did you know that English has been greatly influenced by foreign invasions? In the year 789, the Vikings began a cycle of invasions that brought many new words to English shores. For example, "the Norse 'vind-auga' ('eye of the wind') became 'window'."
The later Norman invasion of Britain infiltrated numerous French words into English; as these languages melded, "the Norse word 'law' survived, but a new jargon engulfed every dimension of its practice and enforcement. Much of this endures: 'jury, justice, plea, plaintiff, lease, larceny' and 'crime' are all from the French."
Readers derive a comprehension of the forces that have shaped English over the centuries. As Great Britain became the dominant global power, our language absorbed new words from exotic lands.
The word "shampoo" is derived from "the Hindi "champna," a verb that conveys the idea of kneading and pressing the body to relieve fatigue and stimulate the circulation." India has been a rich source for English words.
"Pyjamas' is another import from India. In fact "pyjama" derived from the Persian words for "foot" and "garment," and in its Indian context it was used only of loose-fitting trousers, rather than of the entire ensemble of bedwear.
Some word origins are amazing. New words enter our vocabularies daily. Have you ever wondered where the inventors of the drug "Viagra" got that name? Is it a mere coincidence that the Sanskrit word for "tiger" is "vyaghra"?
"The Secret Life of Words" is a linguistic goldmine. Did you know that the inventor Thomas Edison "seems to have initiated the habit of answering the phone with the exclamation 'hello' — once a ferryman's call?"
Hitchings has a delightful section that delineates the differences between American English and English English. And he looks toward the future of our language, and the forces that shall continue to mold it. Most notably he writes that "today there are more Hispanics in the U.S. than in Spain, and their median age is well below 30. They promise to write important chapters in the histories of not just one language, but two."
Hello, anybody up for SCRABBLE?
Book reviewer Vick Mickunas blogs daily about books at www.DaytonDailyNews.com/booknook. Contact him at vick@vickmickunas.com
Posted by Vick Mickunas on 11/10/08; 4:03:17 PM
from the dept.
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