Book on study of the history of words wins John Llewellyn Rhys Prize.Byline: ANI London, Nov 25 (ANI): A book, which studies the origin of some of the most common words used in the English language, has beaten the Man Booker winner to win the John Llewellyn Rhys prize The John Llewellyn Rhys Prize is a British based literary prize. It is presented for the best work of literature (fiction, non-fiction, poetry, drama) from Britain or the Commonwealth written by an author under 35. From 1987 to 2003 it was funded by the Mail on Sunday. . 'The Secret Life of Words' by Henry Hitchings traces the origin of the words and their meanings, a feat which has won the author one of the few book awards spanning genres from novels and poetry to non-fiction. Through the study, Hitchings was able to throw light on how Germanic, French and Latin influences seeped into the language through Anglo Saxon, Norman and later medieval periods, with the book also looking at the large Arabic contribution to modern English. A Middle Eastern touch could be seen in words such as alchemy and algebra through the usage of the prefix 'al', with the word 'admiral' being an Anglicised version of 'amiir al-bahr', meaning 'commander of the sea'. Words like marmalade may be used at the English breakfast table, but the book states that its origins are Portuguese, a word that was originally used for quince quince, shrub or small tree of the Asian genera Chaenomeles and Cydonia of the family Rosaceae (rose family). The common quince (Cydonia oblonga jelly. Even India has contributed to the words used in the English language, with the word 'bungalow' having its origins from Asia, and literally meaning 'belonging to Bengal', a term that was imported during the era of empire. Hitchings first tasted critical and commercial success three years ago with his book Dr Johnson's Dictionary, the subject of an earlier doctoral thesis. "I've always been interested in etymology and word histories, but the experience of writing about Johnson and his lexicographical lex·i·cog·ra·phy n. The process or work of writing, editing, or compiling a dictionary. [lexico(n) + -graphy. efforts really heightened that interest," the Telegraph quoted him as saying. "I'm curious about the history of language generally, but English vocabulary seemed a particularly rich seam to mine. "I wanted to use language as a way of opening up historical vistas, rather than doing the more usual thing of beginning with the history and then mapping the language," he added. Aravind Adiga, who wrote the 2008 Man Booker winner The White Tiger, was among the shortlisted writers seen off by Hitchings to lift the award, which was presented at a ceremony in London (on Monday). Henry Sutton, chair of judges, has hailed the book as reaching across all boundaries, with English being the world's language. "Hitchings's scope is vast, tackling issues of communication, immigration immigration, entrance of a person (an alien) into a new country for the purpose of establishing permanent residence. Motives for immigration, like those for migration generally, are often economic, although religious or political factors may be very important. , war, religion and community," Sutton said. "Yet he never forgets that underpinning it all is the dynamism of English - truly a world language. "This is a big, important book, a landmark in many ways, which will be read and enjoyed for years," he added. (ANI) Copyright 2008 Asian News International The Asian News International (ANI) agency provides multimedia news to China and 50 bureaus in India. It covers virtually all of South Asia since its foundation and presently claims, on its official website, to be the leading South Asia-wide news agency. (ANI) - All Rights Reserved. Provided by Syndigate.info an Albawaba.com company |
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