Words from Hell
Unearthing the Darkest Secrets of English Etymology
$26.18
- Paperback
352 pages
- Release Date
17 June 2025
Summary
‘A fiendishly good read!’ — Mignon Fogarty, Grammar Girl
The English language is where words go to be tortured and mutilated into unrecognizable shadows of their former selves. It’s where Latin, Greek, and Germanic roots are shredded apart and stitched unceremoniously back together with misunderstood snippets of languages snatched from the wreckage of conquest and colonialism. It wreaks sheer havoc upon grammar and spelling. It turns clinical terms into insults and children’s…
Book Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781399808217 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10: | 1399808214 |
| Author: | Jess Zafarris |
| Publisher: | John Murray Press |
| Imprint: | John Murray Publishers Ltd |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Number of Pages: | 352 |
| Release Date: | 17 June 2025 |
| Weight: | 304g |
| Dimensions: | 124mm x 192mm x 24mm |
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About The Author
Jess Zafarris
Jess Zafarris is the author of the etymology books Words From Hell, Useless Etymology (Chambers), and Once Upon a Word (Rockridge Press 2020). Jess is an educational content creator and blogger who focuses on etymology and word-history-focused deep dives and explanations on her TikTok channel @jesszafarris.
Her master’s and undergraduate degrees focused on the development of English through literature, as well as journalism, anthropology, and language studies. She contributed to the tabletop game League of the Lexicon and the Writer’s Digest Daily Calendar 2020.
She has appeared on podcasts including Dear Hank and John, Social Pros, Failing Writers, Yeah That’s Probably an Ad, and Author2Author. By day, Jess is a content and engagement director, journalist, editor, and social media strategist responsible for developing multimedia content for brands, publishers, and media outlets such as Adweek, Ragan Communications, Writer’s Digest, and Script.
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