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Books > Language & Literature > Literary & linguistic reference works > Dictionaries > General
There is no single Asian language. But plenty of vogue words from
this booming continent are entering English. Did you know there is
a flower named after former dictator Kim Jong-il? The Chinese have
a word shengnu, literally leftover for the new phenomenon of
unmarried women over thirty. Can you tell your jeepney from your
jilbab, or yakuza from the yellowshirts? These are just some of the
hundreds of words that illuminate little corners of life and
culture in a pan-Asian selection of keywords from the zeitgeist."
'What grammarians say should be has perhaps less influence on what
shall be than even the more modest of them realize ...' No book had
more influence on twentieth-century attitudes to the English
language in Britain than Henry Fowler's Dictionary of Modern
English Usage. It rapidly became the standard work of reference for
the correct use of English in terms of choice of words, grammar,
and style. Much loved for his firm opinions, passion, and dry
humour, Fowler has stood the test of time and is still considered
the best arbiter of good practice. In this new edition of the
original Dictionary, David Crystal goes beyond the popular
mythology surrounding Fowler's reputation to retrace his method and
arrive at a fresh evaluation of his place in the history of
linguistic thought. With a wealth of entertaining examples he looks
at Fowler's stated principles and the tensions between his
prescriptive and descriptive temperaments. He shows that the
Dictionary does a great more than make normative recommendations
and express private opinion. In addition he offers a modern
perspective on some 300 entries, in which he shows how English has
changed since the 1920s. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years
Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of
literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects
Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate
text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert
introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the
text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.
These selections provide a brief but comprehensive introduction to
Fichte's philosophical system and his place in the history of
German Idealism. In addition to some of Fichte's most influential
texts, such as the First and Second Introductions to the
Wissenschaftslehre and The Basis of Our Belief in a Divine
Governance of the World, Breazeale has translated, for the first
time into English, several other writings from the same period,
including Attempt at a New Presentation of the Wissenschaftslehre,
Other short essays, including Fichte's replies to the charge of
atheism, extend the discussions of the Introductions and respond to
criticisms. Breazeale's substantial Introduction supplies the
context needed for a sound appreciation of Fichte's enterprise and
achievement.
In ancient Greece, as today, popular moral attitudes differed
importantly from the theories of moral philosophers. While for the
latter we have Plato and Aristotle, this insightful work explores
the everyday moral conceptions to which orators appealed in court
and political assemblies, and which were reflected in
non-philosophical literature. Oratory and comedy provide the
primary testimony, and reference is also made to Sophocles,
Euripides, Herodotus, Thucydides, Xenophon, and other sources. The
selection of topics, the contrasts and comparisons with modern
religious, social and legal principles, and accessibility to the
non-specialist ensure the work's appeal to all readers with an
interest in ancient Greek culture and social life.
A landmark of Enlightenment thought, Hume's An Enquiry Concerning
Human Understanding is accompanied here by two shorter works that
shed light on it: A Letter from a Gentleman to His Friend in
Edinburgh , Hume's response to those accusing him of atheism, of
advocating extreme skepticism, and of undermining the foundations
of morality; and his Abstract of A Treatise of Human Nature , which
anticipates discussions developed in the Enquiry . In his concise
Introduction, Eric Steinberg explores the conditions that led Hume
to write the Enquiry and the work's important relationship to Book
I of Hume's A Treatise of Human Nature .
What on earth do Blaenegel, Gwauncaegurwen and Mawdlam mean? Is
Brynsadler named from someone who made saddles or someone called
Sadler? Are there really `high lights' in Highlight, worms at Worms
Head and butter at Brynmenyn? Scarcely a week goes by without
hearing arguments about how we should spell or say a particular
name but finding answers to your questions isn't always easy and
what you find in dictionaries, local histories and websites may
leave you with lingering doubts. Based on many years of detailed
research, Place-Names of Glamorgan investigates the historical
evidence and meanings of more than 1,100 place-names in the
historic county of Glamorgan, stretching from Rhossili to Rumney
and Rhoose to Rhigos. The illustrated volume contains a concise
introduction to the subject, a bibliography, a glossary of common
place-name elements, and a close examination of individual
place-names and their historic forms.
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