The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology [Paperback]

Where did the wordsbungalowandassassinderive? What didnicemean in the Middle Ages? How wereadder, anger, andumpireoriginally spelled? The answers can be found in this essential companion to any popular dictionary.
With over 17,000 entries, this is the most authoritative and comprehensive guide to word origins available in paperback. Based onThe Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, the principal authority on the origin and development of English words, it contains a wealth of information about our language and its history. For example, readers will learn thatbungaloworiginally meant belonging to Bengal, thatassassincomes from the Arabic for Hashish-eater, and thatnicemeant foolish or stupid in the thirteenth century, coy or shy in the fifteenth. Andadder, anger, andumpirewere originally spelled with an initial n. These are but a few of the fascinating tidbits found in this dictionary, which is a must for anyone interested in the richness of the English language.

A model of its kind--all that anyone other than a specialist needs to know about words. --Daily Telegraph

T. F. Hoadis Lecturer in English at Oxford University.