- Publisher: Michael O'Mara
- Year: 2020
- Format: Paperback
- Pages: 176pp
- Illustrated: Yes
- Dimensions: 197x128mm
- Condition: New
- Weight: 0.1kg
- ISBN: 9781782434320
- Product code: 514107
A Certain Je Ne Sais Quoi
Words We Pinched from Other Languages
Chloe Rhodes New Paperback Illustrated
Postscript summary
Chloe Rhodes presides over this entertaining exploration among the legions of words, from aficionado to zeitgeist, that English-speakers have pilfered from across the globe. She delves into their derivations and gives witty examples of their use as well as telling the stories of how and why we absorbed such exotic imports.
Product information
Full publisher description
A handy guide to the meanings and origins of the many foreign phrases we use every day.
English as we know it today is enriched with many borrowings and influences from other languages. Aficionado, chutzpah, pro bono, hoi polloi, ketchup, nous, zeitgeist - we use these foreign words every day without thinking of their origins, but what do they actually mean? And just how and why did we English speakers absorb such exotic imports?
Each phrase has a fascinating history; colonialism, foreign trade, invasion and immigration all have their role to play in the evolution of our language. Did you know, for example, that 'lingua franca' is Italian for 'Frankish language' - a name given to a mixed common language used by diplomats of different nationalities in medieval times? Or that the seemingly modern 'bandana' comes from the Sanskrit for the ancient Indian technique of tie-dying fabric?
A Certain Je Ne Sais Quoi is an accessible and entertaining treasury of information that 'connoisseurs' (French) of the English language will love!
English as we know it today is enriched with many borrowings and influences from other languages. Aficionado, chutzpah, pro bono, hoi polloi, ketchup, nous, zeitgeist - we use these foreign words every day without thinking of their origins, but what do they actually mean? And just how and why did we English speakers absorb such exotic imports?
Each phrase has a fascinating history; colonialism, foreign trade, invasion and immigration all have their role to play in the evolution of our language. Did you know, for example, that 'lingua franca' is Italian for 'Frankish language' - a name given to a mixed common language used by diplomats of different nationalities in medieval times? Or that the seemingly modern 'bandana' comes from the Sanskrit for the ancient Indian technique of tie-dying fabric?
A Certain Je Ne Sais Quoi is an accessible and entertaining treasury of information that 'connoisseurs' (French) of the English language will love!
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A Certain Je Ne Sais Quoi
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Chloe Rhodes presides over this entertaining exploration among the legions of words, from aficionado to zeitgeist, that English-speakers have pilfered from across the globe. She delves into their derivations and gives witty examples of their use as well as telling the stories of how and why we absorbed such exotic imports.
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Chloe Rhodes
General
197x128mm
Michael O'Mara
No
Paperback
