Amazon.com Product Description (ISBN 019506609X, Paperback)

Drawing extensively on the methods and results of modern linguistics, especially word analysis, this remarkable text provides the student with the necessary tools to acquire an effective understanding of learned, specialized, and scientific vocabulary. English Vocabulary Elements helps develop familiarity with over 350 Latin and Greek word elements in English and, by demonstrating the variety of word-building techniques, shows how these roots are reflected in thousands of different words. In their treatment of word formation, the authors introduce and illustrate many of the fundamental concepts of linguistics, including phonetics, phonology, morphology, sociolinguistics, and historical linguistics, offering a more thorough and principled approach to the expansion of one's vocabulary. Also included are an abundance of details about words themselves, ranging from events in the remote history of the language to modern-day developments, showing how words have changed their meanings and forms over time--often despite the resistance of some "authorities". From the importance of English as a world language to the language's use as an expression of creativity, this invaluable work offers students of verbal aptitude, English grammar, or scientific writing not only a larger, more expressive vocabulary, but a deeper understanding of the language that has become the international medium of verbal communication.