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New. 1566491665. *** FREE UPGRADE to Courier/Priority Shipping Upon Request ***-*** IN STOCK AND IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE FOR SHIPMENT-FLAWLESS COPY, BRAND NEW, PRISTINE, NEVER OPENED--197 pages. --Excellent Condition. Tight and Bright. Source inscription on title page. "These short essays by the author of Lives of a Cell reflect Thomas's fascination with the origins of words and their historical percolation. By tracing certain words in common use millennia ago ( wopsa, for instance) from, say, an Indo-European root through Old Norse or Middle Dutch or Old Icelandic, he demonstrates how such words are remarkably similar to their descendants in modern English ( wasp ). Many words he finds both "lovely and lovable" ( civility, for example), but not all. Looking askance at offal, he would do away with surly, and happily explains why. Thomas points out that children make language, citing a grandson's amusing coinage. Commenting that a universal language is probably inevitable, he briefly inquires into the Gaia theory (Planet Earth as living organism). These and other minor excursions are firmly tied to his overall theme: language not only binds and unites us, it is what makes us unique. Thomas's gentle ruminations will be enjoyed by those who share his etymological enchantment."--Publishers Weekly-ISBN # 1566491665--with a bonus offer--;
