Dover Language Guides Series

The compiler of this dictionary of word and phrase origins and history was not only a linguist and a philologist but also a man of culture and wit. When he turned his attention, therefore, to the creation of an etymological dictionary for both specialists and non-specialists, the result was easily the finest such work ever prepared. Weekley's Dictionary is a work of thorough scholarship. It contains one of the largest lists of words and phrases to be found in any singly etymological dictionary — and considerably more material than in the standard concise edition, with fuller quotes and historical discussions. Included are most of the more common words used in English as well as slang, archaic words, such formulas as "I. O. U.," made-up words (such as Carroll's "Jabberwock"), words coined from proper nouns, and so on. In each case, roots in Anglo-Saxon, Old Norse, Greek or Latin, Old and modern French, Anglo-Indian, etc., are identified; in hundreds of cases, especially odd or amusing listings, earliest known usage is mentioned and sense is indicated in quotations from Dickens, Shakespeare, Chaucer, "Piers Plowman," Defoe, O. Henry, Spenser, Byron, Kipling, and so on, and from contemporary newspapers, translations of the Bible, and dozens of foreign-language authors.

The compiler of this dictionary of word and phrase origins and history was not only a linguist and a philologist but also a man of culture and wit. When he turned his attention, therefore, to the creation of an etymological dictionary for both specialists and non-specialists, the result was easily the finest such work ever prepared. Weekley's Dictionary is a work of thorough scholarship. It contains one of the largest lists of words and phrases to be found in any singly etymological dictionary — and considerably more material than in the standard concise edition, with fuller quotes and historical discussions. Included are most of the more common words used in English as well as slang, archaic words, such formulas as "I. O. U.," made-up words (such as Carroll's "Jabberwock"), words coined from proper nouns, and so on. In each case, roots in Anglo-Saxon, Old Norse, Greek or Latin, Old and modern French, Anglo-Indian, etc., are identified; in hundreds of cases, especially odd or amusing listings, earliest known usage is mentioned and sense is indicated in quotations from Dickens, Shakespeare, Chaucer, "Piers Plowman," Defoe, O. Henry, Spenser, Byron, Kipling, and so on, and from contemporary newspapers, translations of the Bible, and dozens of foreign-language authors.

Turkish is the primary language of some thirty million people. Anyone concerned with current social, political, and cultural developments in Turkey knows that a practical understanding of the basic patterns of modern Turkish is an invaluable skill that until now has been difficult to attain without extensive training. This superb grammar and exercise text, used successfully for years in Princeton University, enables English-speaking students — in and out of the classroom — to gain a quick and thorough understanding of modern Turkish. In a carefully arranged sequence of 23 lessons, Lewis V. Thomas, late Professor of Oriental Studies at Princeton, presents thorough coverage that allows the student to begin to use the basic patterns of modern Turkish without time-consuming and expensive private instruction. The method of instruction was devised after an extensive analysis of results in Princeton classrooms, and relies on exercises at the end of each lesson to test the student's grasp of the material. Beginning with the alphabet and numbers, Professor Thomas offers clear, concise coverage of articles, adjectives and nouns, common infinitives, personal pronouns, and elementary verbs. As the student's comprehension of basic elements develops, further lessons deal with more complicated subjects such as the possessive construction, past general verbs, postpositions, the partitive, progressive verb forms, and abbreviating verb forms. A complete Turkish-English glossary translates new vocabulary occurring in the exercises. Norman Itzkowitz, Professor of Near Eastern Studies at Princeton University, has skillfully made the necessary revisions and additions to complete Professor Thomas' work. For anyone who needs to communicate in this important and influential language, Professor Thomas' proven course, now in an inexpensive paperback edition, is the most effective method available.

As S. Morris Engel alerts us in this eye-opening book, we risk falling into potentially harmful language traps every moment. Not just the occasional malapropism or grammatical faux pas, but a more sinister kind — distortions of meaning that would persuade us to believe something that may not be true. Sometimes these language traps are set for us deliberately by politicians, advertisers, journalists, lawyers or other professional persuaders. Sometimes they are set inadvertently by our friends, our loved ones — even ourselves. This work explains how and why these fallacies work, and how we may suffer the consequences when they do. Day after day we listen to government newspeak (our troops are called "peace-keeping forces"), exaggerated advertising claims from "leading authorities," twisted logic and misleading propaganda. We are treated to more and more euphemisms (slums are called "substandard housing"; dogcatchers, "animal welfare officers"). We encounter innumerable ambiguities ("I wish you all the good fortune you deserve") — and indulge in a few ourselves. The author wittily explores this verbal minefield, and tells us how to spot a language trap and how to avoid falling in. The book is not only a useful manual of verbal self-defense, it's an engrossing study of the nature of language and the subtle ways in which it operates. It will intrigue anyone interested in words, language, and the dynamics of modern culture.

This book presents the elements of everyday Portuguese, stressing European Portuguese, but also giving information on Brazilian Portuguese. Covering grammatical topics, vocabulary, and practice sentence material, this book is a solid, well-organized approach to Portuguese that anyone interested in the language will find highly useful. Pronunciation is very clearly explained first, and it is followed by twenty-five well-proportioned, progressive lessons that cover all the main points of contemporary grammar: gender, present indicative, formation of plural, agreement and position of adjectives, definite and indefinite article, use of ser and estar, commands, personal pronouns, imperfect indicative, reflexive pronouns and reflexive verbs, present subjunctive, future and imperfect subjunctive, conditional, negatives, infinitive, pluperfect and perfect indicative, and much more. An Appendix gives conjugations of regular verbs, orthographic-changing verbs, radical-changing verbs, and irregular verbs, while a Portuguese-English Vocabulary, an English-Portuguese Vocabulary, and an Index complete the book. This book is suitable for self-study outside of class, for refresher, and for reference. It is particularly useful as a supplement to phrase and conversational study.

A venerable resource for more than a century, Allen and Greenough's New Latin Grammar is still regarded by students and teachers as the finest Latin reference grammar available. Concise, comprehensive, and well organized, it is unrivaled in depth and clarity, placing a wealth of advice on usage, vocabulary, diction, composition, and syntax within easy reach of Latin scholars at all levels. This sourcebook's three-part treatment starts with words and forms, covering parts of speech, declensions, and conjugations. The second part, syntax, explores cases, moods, and tenses. The concluding section offers information on archaic usages, Latin verse, and prose composition, among other subjects. Extensive appendixes feature a glossary of terms and indexes. Students of history, religion, and literature will find lasting value in this modestly priced edition of a classic guide to Latin.

Since 1867, students of Latin and their teachers have turned to this famous guide for instruction on grammar and usage. The work of a distinguished professor who taught classics for six decades, it is celebrated for its lucid and comprehensive treatment.The first third of the text focuses on etymology, exploring inflections of the substantive and adjective; adverbs, numerals, and pronouns; inflection of the verb; and the formation of words. Subsequent chapters advance to syntax, examining simple and compound sentences; the arrangement of words and clauses; figures of syntax and rhetoric; and principal rules of syntax. The text concludes with an extended section on prosody that discusses and illustrates the conventions of Latin verse. Helpful indexes feature information on everyday Roman life, including explanations of the calendar, weights and measures, money, and names. No Latin reference collection is complete without this volume, which is equally useful for classroom and independent study.