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English Vocabulary Elements draws on the tools of modern linguistics to help students acquire an effective understanding of learned, specialized, and scientific vocabulary. This fully refined and updated edition helps develop familiarity with over 500 Latin and Greek word elements in English and shows how these roots are the building blocks within thousands of different words. The volume includes new illustrative examples, self-help tests, and study questions, and is accompanied by a companion website with an Instructor's Manual. Offering a thorough approach to the expansion of vocabulary,
English Vocabulary Elements is an invaluable resource that provides students a deeper understanding of the language.
List of contents
- Preface
- List of Figures
- List of Tables
- Symbols and Abbreviations
- 1. The Wealth of English
- 2. The History of English and Sources of English Vocabulary
- 3. Morphology: The Structure of Complex Words
- 4. Allomorphy
- 5. Phonetics
- 6. Regular Allomorphy; Numeric Elements
- 7. Meaning Change
- 8. Usage and Variation
- 9. Latin and Greek morphology
- 10. The Prehistory of English and the Other Indo- European Languages
- 11. Later Changes: From Latin to French to English
- Appendix 1. Elements to Glosses
- Appendix 2. Glosses to Elements
- Glossary
- Further Reading and Research Tools
- Index
About the author
William R. Leben is Professor Emeritus of Linguistics at Stanford University.
Brett Kessler is Associate Professor Emeritus in Psychology at Washington University in St. Louis.
Keith Denning was Professor of Linguistics at Eastern Michigan University.
Summary
English Vocabulary Elements draws on the tools of modern linguistics to help students acquire an effective understanding of learned, specialized, and scientific vocabulary. This fully refined and updated edition helps develop familiarity with over 500 Latin and Greek word elements in English and shows how these roots are the building blocks within thousands of different words. Along the way, the authors introduce and illustrate many of the fundamental concepts of linguistics, sketch word origins going back to Latin, Greek, and even Proto-Indo-European, and discuss issues around meaning change and correct usage. Moreover, the volume adds new illustrative examples, self-help tests, and study questions. A companion website provides supplementary materials including an Instructor's Manual with an answer key. Offering a thorough approach to the expansion of vocabulary, English Vocabulary Elements is an invaluable resource that provides students a deeper understanding of the language.
Additional text
English Vocabulary Elements is the best college-level introduction to English words and the system behind their structure and use that is available. College students, English teachers, and anyone interested in using English will benefit from this remarkably broad and thorough examination of the rich lexical resources of English.
