The Etymologicon cover art

The Etymologicon

A Circular Stroll Through the Hidden Connections of the English Language

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The Etymologicon

Written by: Mark Forsyth
Narrated by: Don Hagen
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About this listen

Do you know why…

a mortgage is literally a death pledge? …why guns have girls’ names? …why salt is related to soldier?

You’re about to find out…

The Etymologicon (e-t?-‘mä-lä-ji-kän) is:

*Witty (wi-te\): Full of clever humor

*Erudite (er-?-dit): Showing knowledge

*Ribald (ri-b?ld): Crude, offensive

The Etymologicon is a completely unauthorized guide to the strange underpinnings of the English language. It explains: How you get from “gruntled” to “disgruntled”; why you are absolutely right to believe that your meager salary barely covers “money for salt”; how the biggest chain of coffee shops in the world (hint: Seattle) connects to whaling in Nantucket; and what precisely the Rolling Stones have to do with gardening.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2012 Mark Forsyth (P)2014 Gildan Media LLC Witty Middle Ages Etymology English

What the critics say

“The stocking filler of the season...how else to describe a book that explains the connection between Dom Perignon and Mein Kampf.” ( The Observer)
“Crikey...this is addictive!” ( The Times)
All stars
Most relevant  
I started this book hoping to learn one or two facts while on my drive to work. Instead, I found myself smiling, laughing, and learning more than I anticipated.

And when I had to spend hours in a hospital room, the narrators calm, soothing, and well spoken voice was of great relief.

No sooner did I finish this book than decide to start it all over again. I highly recommend it.

A positive outlook

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