A historical or etymological dictionary shows the history of a word from its date of introduction to the present. It traces the development of various changes in interpretation and meaning. Etymologies frequently show the root word in Latin, Greek, Old English, French, etc.
The most famous etymological dictionary is the Oxford English Dictionary (known as the OED). You can access Nimitz Library's online subscription to the OED from anywhere on the Yard:
The following is a selective list of reference books on the origins of English language words located in Nimitz Library:
General Dictionaries (including etymological dictionaries):
- American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 3rd edition
- Beeching, Cyril L., Dictionary of Eponyms, 2nd edition
- Barnhart, Robert K., Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
- Brewer, Ebenezer. Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable
- Brown, Lesley, New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles, 2 vols.
- (REF PE1625 .N539 1993 v.1 and v.2)
- Cambridge History of the English Language
- (REF PE1072 .C36 1992 2vols.)
- Cassidy, Frederick G., chief ed. Dictionary of American Regional English. vols. 1-5 (website for DARE project: https://dare.wisc.edu/)
- Hendrickson, Robert, Facts on File Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins
- Hirsch, Eric D., Dictionary of Cultural Literacy
- Johnson, Samuel. A Dictionary of the English Language: in which the Words are Deduced from their Originals; and Illustrated in their Different Significations, by Examples from the Best Writers: together with a History of the Language, and an English Grammar.
- Murray, Sir James, The Oxford English Dictionary. Print version of the 1989 2nd edition (revised), 20 vols.
- Also available on the web (click here to access)
- Shipley, Joseph T., Origins of English Words: a Discursive Dictionary of Indo-European Roots
- Thompson, Della, Concise Oxford Dictionary of Current English, 9th ed.
Dictionaries of Slang and Contemporary Words:
- Ayto, John, Oxford Dictionary of Modern Slang
- Berrey, Lester V., et al. American Thesaurus of Slang.
- Chapman, Robert L., New Dictionary of American Slang
- Lewin, Esther, Thesaurus of Slang: 150,000 Uncensored Slang Terms, Common Idioms, and Colloquialisms
- Lighter, J.E., ed. Random House Historical dictionary of American Slang. 2 vols.
- Partridge, Eric. Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English. 7th ed.
- Thorne, Tony, Dictionary of Contemporary Slang: with more than 5,000 Racy and Raffish Colloquial Expressions
- Wilmeth, Don B., Language of American Popular Entertainment: a Glossary of Argot, Slang, and Terminology
Dictionaries of Military Jargon and Words from the Sea:
- Ammer, Christine, Fighting Words: from War, Rebellion, and other Combative Pursuits
- Clark, Gregory R., Words of the Vietnam War: the Slang, Jargon, Abbreviations, Acronyms, Nomenclature, . . ..
- Jeans, Peter D. Ship to Shore: a Dictionary of Everyday Words and Phrases Derived from the Sea.
- Lind, Lewis J., Sea Jargon: a Dictionary of the Unwritten Language of the Sea
- Parker, Michael, ed. Good Gouge: an Investigation into the Origins of Naval Academy Slang
- Reinberg, Linda, In the Field: the Language of the Vietnam War
- Rogers, John G., The Origins of Sea Terms
- Uran, Marshall, Sea-say: Salty Stories and Seamen's Slang
