Author Description

If foreign words and phrases are your "bete noire," here is a superb reference that covers more than 6,000 foreign words and phrases commonly used in English, drawn from some forty languages, from Afrikaans to Turkish. Readers will find clear definitions of words such as "fandango," "futon," "falsetto," "basmati," and many other words that appear in everyday speech as well as in musical direction, the arts, food, medicine, science, literature and belles-lettres. The entries are browsable, but also authoritative, with detailed information on each word or phrase, including any alternative spellings, the date of the word's introduction into English, its language of origin, its definition, and notes on usage and other points of interest. New full-page feature panels provide fascinating extra information on language borrowing, including how specific languages have influenced particular areas of English. This new edition includes up-to-date coverage of words that have entered the English language in the 21st Century, including "bruschetta," "pashmina," and "galactico," and an appendix that lists words by country.