EN 433: Modern Grammar

Dr. Russell A. Potter

Assignment #1: Practice Etymology

The 'lexicon' of a language is the whole storehouse of its words and phrases -- including, theoretically, any intelligible utterance or scrawl of any of its users, past or present, "standard" or "non-standard." Yet words, like people, suffer alteration, reversal, decay, and (sometimes) death, and the history of each word, although unknown to most of its users, is an important element of understanding its lexical situation. Etymology is the study of the history and pre-history of words, phrases, and other lexical items.

For this assignment, each of you will receive one word. Your mission is to find out everything that you can about that word, including but not limited to the answers to the following questions: 1) What does the word mean today, if it is still in use?; 2) If the word has changed in meaning over time, what was/were its earlier meaning(s), and when did the current meaning come into use?; 3) When did the word enter the lexicon? (be as precise as possible) and from what other language?; and 4) What are the social connotations of this word (i.e., who tends to use it, and it what social context is it used?)

For each word, you should turn first to the Oxford English Dictionary, which although not without its biases is the best historical dictionary of the language available; the OED will give you all past forms & meanings of the word, with examples from context. If you do not find your word in the OED, then chances are that it is either technical, "non-standard," "regional," or perhaps simply a very new entrant into the lexicon. For these words, you may need to look at some of the more specialized dictionaries listed below. In any case, use at least one dictionary besides the OED to verify and cross-reference your findings. Your results should be written in narrative form, not simply quotations from dictionaries.

The Oxford English dictionary [computer file] : on compact disc. 2nd ed. (Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, 1992.) RIC Reference REF PE1625 .O9 1992 inquire at reference desk if needed

Webster's third new international dictionary of the English language, unabridged. (Springfield, Mass. : G. & C. Merriam Co., 1976). RIC Reference REF PE1625.W36 1976

Skeat, Walter W. A concise etymological dictionary of the English language. (New York : Capricorn Books, 1963). RIC Reference REF PE1580.S5 1963

Johnson, Samuel, 1709-1784. A dictionary of the English language: in which the words are deduced from their originals and illustrated in their different significations by examples from the best writers ; to which are prefixed, a history of the language, and an English grammar. (London, Printed by W. Strahan, 1755). RIC Reference REF PE1620.J6 1967

Partridge, Eric. A dictionary of slang and unconventional English : colloquialisms and catch-phrases, solecisms and catachreses, nicknames, and vulgarisms. (New York : Macmillan, 1984). RIC Reference REF PE3721.P3 1984

Major, Clarence. Juba to jive : a dictionary of African-American slang. (New York: Penguin Books, 1994). RIC Reference REF PE3727.N4 M34 1994

Robinson, Mairi. The Concise Scots dictionary. (Aberdeen : Aberdeen University Press, 1985). RIC Reference REF PE2106.C66 1985