Publisher's Synopsis
Ralph Waldo Emerson once described the English language as ""the sea which receives tributaries from every region under heaven."" We dip into this sea more often than we realize, sprinkling our writings and everyday conversations with words and phrases derived from other languages. ""The Facts On File Dictionary of Foreign Words and Phrases, Second Edition"" presents new and updated information on the origins and usage of more than 4,500 of these expressions.This invaluable dictionary clarifies and explains words and phrases spanning a wide range of fields, from law and music to philosophy and cuisine. Entries include pronunciations in American English, parts of speech and other relevant grammatical information, languages of origin, concise definitions, examples of use, and etymological backgrounds. More than 500 entries have been added to this new edition.New and updated coverage includes: terms that have become more frequently used in contemporary English, such as retro and sudoku; more prefixes and suffixes, such as eco- and -fest; terms relating to food, such as panini, burrito, provolone, and wasabi; terms relating to religions, such as Veda; and, miscellaneous new terms, such as dreck, madrasa, and tort and much more.
