The average contemporary English speaker knows 50,000 words. Yet stripped down to its origins, this apparently huge vocabulary is in reality much smaller, derived from Latin, French and the Germanic languages. It is estimated that every year, 800 neologisms are added to the English language: acronyms (nimby), blended words (motel), and those taken from foreign languages (savoir-faire). Laid out in an A-Z format with detailed cross references, and written in a style that is both authoritative and accessible, Word Origins is a valuable historical guide to the English language.

The Encyclopedia of Surnames is not just another dictionary With entertaining coverage of more than 7,000 surnames listed alphabetically, it provides a complete and accessible companion to tracing the history of names.

Written by John Ayto, a respected lexicographer and author of titles such as Word Origins, the Encyclopedia of Surnames is the ideal gift or research tool for historians, journalists, genealogists, researchers and anyone interested in tracing their family history.

Broad coverage includes supplementary features on famous surnames, surnames of...