'A wonderful book heaving with linguistic treasure ... joyfully clever' - Edward Brooke-Hitching author of The Madman's Library

'Wonderful' - Tom Holland

'A lovely, lovely read' - Lucy Mangan

'Splendid' - David Crystal

'A rich meditation on words, a thoughtful cultural history and a delicious box of delights' - Nicola Griffith, author of Hild

'Thorough, entertaining, and absolutely fascinating.' Paul Anthony Jones, Haggard Hawks

In this beautiful little book, Hana Videen has gathered these gems together to create a glorious trove and illuminate the lives, beliefs and habits of our linguistic ancestors. We discover a world where choking on a bit of bread might prove your guilt, where fiend-ship was as likely as friend-ship, and you might grow up to be a laughter-smith. These are the magical roots of our own language: you'll never see English in the same way again.