Edition: 2nd ed., revised

Condition remarks:
Condition: Fair. Jacket: No dust jacket. Page Condition: Yellowed, tanning and foxing. Markings: unmkd. Binding condition: Binding intact but worn. Fold-out chart intact.

Language is not merely a tool it is the living architecture of thought itself, and Eric Partridge’s The World of Words stands as one of the most accessible and authoritative guides to understanding it. This revised edition presents a sweeping introduction to language in general, with particular attention to the nuances that distinguish English and American usage, drawing the reader into the rich, often surprising history of words and their meanings. Partridge navigates etymology, linguistics, and idiomatic expression with scholarly precision yet an unmistakable enthusiasm that makes the subject irresistible to both the curious layperson and the seasoned philologist.Partridge, celebrated for his monumental works on slang and usage, brings his characteristic wit and erudition to bear on every page, arguing that a deeper understanding of language is inseparable from a deeper understanding of culture and civilisation. Published by the venerable George Routledge & Sons, The World of Words occupies a respected place in the canon of twentieth-century linguistic writing a work that does not merely instruct but genuinely illuminates the extraordinary complexity hidden within everyday speech. For anyone who has ever paused to wonder where a word came from or why it means what it does, this volume promises answers that will transform the way you listen and read.