History in English Words"In our language alone, not to speak of its many companions, the past history of humanity is spread out in an imperishable map, just as the history of the mineral earth lies embedded in the layers of its outer crust.... Language has preserved for us the inner, living history of our soul. It reveals the evolution of consciousness" --Owen Barfield For more than three-quarters of a century, Owen Barfield produced original and thought-provoking works that made him a legendary cult figure. History in English Words is his classic excursion into history through the English language. This popular book provides a brief, brilliant history of the various peoples who have spoken the Indo-European tongues. It is illustrated throughout by current English words whose derivation from other languages, and whose history in use and changes of meaning, record and unlock the larger history. |
Contents
Philogy and the Aryans | 15 |
The Settlement and Europe | 32 |
England before the Reformation | 48 |
Modern England | 64 |
Myth | 85 |
Philosophy and Religion | 100 |
Devotion | 123 |
Experiment | 144 |
Personality and Reason | 161 |
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Common terms and phrases
abstract abstract laws acquired adjective already ancestors ancient appeared Arabic Aristotle Aryan Aryan races Bacon began borrowed called Celtic Celts chapter Chaucer Christianity Cicero civilization conception consciousness cosmos derived describe developed Dictionary divine Egyptian eighteenth century Empire England English language English words Europe example express external fact fancy farther felt gradually Greece Greek philosophy Greek word Hippocrates human idea imagination influence inner world instance intellectual interesting Italiot kind later Latin words living meant mechanical medieval metaphors Middle Ages mind modern meaning moral mysterious myth mythology nations Nature object origin outlook perhaps philo philology philosophy phrase Plato poetry poets race religion Roman Roman Empire Roman mythology Rome Sanskrit seems semantic semantic change sense Septuagint seventeenth century Shakespeare sixteenth century soul speak spirit Teutonic things thoughts and feelings tion trace translation verb vocabulary writer