From Afterwit to Zemblanity: 100 endangered words brought to life
by Simon Hertnon
The ideal gift for word lovers everywhere.
First edition hardback ISBN 9781869661939
(New Holland Publishers (NZ) Ltd, 2008)
$24.99 Buy (orders are fulfilled by Nakedize Limited)
eBook edition | Publishing information
“Hertnon provides a treasure trove of rich and
rare words to delight, tantalise and obsess the most
compulsive of language obsessives. Lovely stuff.”
Weekend Press (Christchurch)
“crisply presented”
Sunday Star Times
“This book is a gem.”
Northern Advocate (Whangarei)
“an excellent guide to that obscure word”
Investigate Magazine
Considering how often we need to communicate, we tend to be lazy linguists, reaching for the cliched and commonplace word, even though the English language is brimming with ambrosial alternatives.
But wait just a yoctosecond — help is at hand! In this deliciously witty compendium, Simon Hertnon selects 100 hand-picked rarities and, in a virtuoso display of concinnity and logodaedaly, gives them the kiss of life via clear descriptions of their meaning and crisp examples of their usage.
Not merely a useful resource for writers and communicators, From Afterwit to Zemblanity is an entertaining read for anyone with an appetite for the very brightest gems of the English language.
Simon’s description of the book
When it comes to words, English speakers are ‘spoilt for choice’. There is nearly a word for everything, but we are often overwhelmed by options and, typically, our language is bland and uninspiring. I think of From Afterwit to Zemblanity as a gallery of fine words, and a stroll through it will introduce you to words that will give you reason to pause and consider. Some words will hit you between the eyeballs, others will simply make you laugh, or recognise, or appreciate, or reconsider. But every word will remind you of the choices we can all make, if only we take the time to explore and discern.
Read an excerpt: Velleity
Explore: Further reading
eBook edition
Endangered Words: Simon Hertnon’s guided tour of one hundred exceptional rare words
by Simon Hertnon
Kindle edition (ISBN 9780958235501, ASIN B019HJ3EPM)
(Marsilio Press, 2015)
$3.99 from Amazon US
£2.99 from Amazon UK
More about the Kindle edition…
More Endangered Words print editions…
Publishing information
Publisher (hardback): New Holland Publishers (NZ) Ltd
Publisher (eBook): Marsilio Press (an imprint of Nakedize Limited)
ISBN (hardback): 9781869661939
ISBN (eBook): 9780958235501
ASIN (eBook): B019HJ3EPM
Pages (hardback): 224
Size (hardback): 127mm x 191mm
Subjects: Vocabulary / English language
Enquiries: info[at]nakedize.com
NATIONAL LIBRARY OF NEW ZEALAND CATALOGUING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA
Title: From afterwit to zemblanity : 100 endangered words brought to life / Simon Hertnon.
Creator: Simon Hertnon
Subjects: Vocabulary; English language — Glossaries, vocabularies, etc
Publisher: Auckland, N.Z. : New Holland
Publication Date: 2008
Format: 223 p. ; 20 cm.
Language: English
Identifier: ISBN9781869661939