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23 Best Etymology Books

Goal: Find the best Etymology books according to the internet (not just one person's opinion).

Method:

  1. Search for "best etymology books" and study the top 4+ pages.
  2. Add only the books mentioned 2+ times.
  3. Rank the results neatly here.

23 Best Etymology Books

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1

Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology

by Robert K. Barnhart

2

Hair of the Dog to Paint the Town Red

The Curious Origins of Everyday Sayings and Fun Phrases

by Andrew Thompson

3

The Lost Words

by Robert Macfarlane

4

The Etymologicon

A Circular Stroll Through the Hidden Connections of the English Language

by Mark Forsyth

Also recommended by:

Patrick O'Shaughnessy

5

Chambers Dictionary of Etymology

by Robert K. Barnhart

6

Dictionary of the Strange, Curious & Lovely

by Robin Devoe

7

Dictionary of Word Origins

The Histories of More Than 8,000 English-Language Words

by John Ayto

8

English for Everyone

English Vocabulary Builder

by DK

9

English Grammar in Use

A Self-Study Reference and Practice Book for Intermediate Learners of English

by Raymond Murphy

10

English Words from Latin and Greek Elements

by Donald M. Ayers

11

Frindle

by Andrew Clements

12

Mer to Moor

Kemet until Now

by Cozmo El

13

Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue

The Untold History of English

by John McWhorter

14

Oxford Dictionary of Word Origins

by Julia Cresswell

15

The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language

by Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries

16

The Best Punctuation Book, Period

A Comprehensive Guide for Every Writer, Editor, Student, and Businessperson

by June Casagrande

17

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology

by T. F. Hoad

18

The Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology

by C.T. Onions

19

The Oxford Guide to Etymology

by Philip Durkin

20

The Perfect English Grammar Workbook

Simple Rules and Quizzes to Master Today's English

by Lisa McLendon

21

Wheelock's Latin

by Frederic M. Wheelock

22

Word Magic

The Powers and Occult Definitions of Words

by Pao Chang

23

Word Origins

by John Ayto

Sources

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