From aardvark to zenzizenzizenzic, Word Drops collects a thousand obscure words and language facts in one fascinating chain of word associations. Did you know, for example, that scandal derives from the Latin for ?stumbling block? and originally described a trap for a wild animal? In nineteenth-century slang a wolf trap was a corrupt casino. Casino means ?little house? in Italian. Roulette means ?little wheel? in French. A wheeler is someone who attends auctions to bid on items merely to increase their sale price. Such links take readers on an unexpected journey through linguistic oddities. Inspired by the popular @HaggardHawks Twitter account, Word Drops also uses an intriguing series of annotations to add background and historical context on everything from Anglo-Saxon cures for insanity to Samuel Pepys?s cure for a hangover. This unique book will delight anyone who loves language, etymology, and word games.Not for sale in the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia, or Canada

Language is an essential part of what makes us human. Where did it come from? How did it develop into the complex system we know today? And what can an evolutionary perspective tell us about the nature of language and communication? Drawing on a range of disciplines including cognitive science, linguistics, anthropology and evolutionary biology, Speaking Our Minds explains how language evolved and why we are the only species to communicate in this way. Written by a rising star in the field, this groundbreaking book is required reading for anyone interested in understanding the origins and evolution of human communication and language.

Product Description: Roland Barthes recourt de façon récurrente dans ses textes à des filiations ou à des déductions étymologiques, savantes ou fantaisistes. Si les travaux critiques consacrés au sémiologue ont relevé ce phénomène, ils ne l’ont jamais exploré de façon approfondie et l’ont en général rapporté à un goût du lexique ou à un jeu langagier...read more

Drawing on the collective wisdom of over 280 languages and containing illustrations, this book is intended for those interested in words, language or the world around them.