The Illustrated Etymologicon: A Circular Stroll through the Hidden Connections of the English Language by Mark Forsyth (2021) – A revised, illustrated—and better—version of The Etymologicon by Mark Forsyth.

It’s always exciting for me each year to gather all the recommended books from our Siblings’ Book Club participants, to weed through the titles, tally the votes, and release the final list. The Illustrated Etymologicon was a surprise winner—especially since Bill Bryson‘s own linguistic study The Mother Tongue was our top pick! Apparently we all love studying words as much as reading them.

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A Brief Synopsis of The Illustrated Etymologicon

In this heavy book, Mark Forsyth walks his readers through the fascinating trails of etymology that spread like threads of a web through history and culture. I never expected how absorbed I’d become with the trivial knowledge he shares here, tidbits that span widely through time and place.

Forsyth’s method of sharing this information is uniquely styled, for rather than organizing the book by topic or root or even by chapter, he instead opts to deliver his studies in a continuous chain, where one word leads to another and another, on down through 300+ pages of incredible learning.

Forsythe’s Sources and Styles

Clearly, Mark Forsyth is a skilled linguist in his own right, but he began this study together with his friend Andrea on their blog, Inky Fool (which I’ve never read). Though Andrea has since passed, he kindly shares her story and the fact that together in 2011 they were able to piece together writings from their blog for the first, unillustrated version of this book.

I don’t know about Andrea, but Mark writes with a certain flair and sarcasm that kept this book as entertaining as it is informative. Sometimes his words are a bit scathing, like when he deals with religious issues, but of course I wasn’t expecting a Bible study here. In that vein, Forsyth also works through the histories of some of our favorite cuss words and sexual acts, so…that’s fun.

Forsyth gets so sarcastic at times, though, that I wondered as I read how future etymologists studying the forgotten nuances of early 21st century English would handle it. Here’s just one of a thousand examples:

We all know that scientific words need an obscure classical origin to make them sound impressive to those who wouldn’t know an idiopathic craniofacial erythema if it hit then in the face. (18)

Somehow I don’t think his sarcastic bits will translate well through time. I’m probably wrong in that, of course, since we can still understand most of the jokes and puns and slights that Shakespeare fit into his plays. Still, it makes me curious about humor—and now I wonder if anyone like Forsyth is willing to write The Illustrated Comedologicon. I’d preorder that.

Some Favorite Snippets from the Book

I know full well that quoting anything from this book out of context risks confusing someone who’s never read it—which is exactly why you should get your own copy and read it for yourself! Let me share an example of what I mean (this includes one of the common cuss words mentioned above):

This means that science is, etymologically sh**. It also means that knowing your sh**, etymologically, means that you’re good at physics and chemistry. (86)

I love how Forsyth sweeps across so many topics in this book, making sure that there’s definitely something here for everyone. I, for one, loved the five pages he dedicates to butterflies (68-72), and I’m totally a smarter person for having read the entry about the insulting word “Nazi” (154-156). I could say the same for so many other passages, but those two stand out.

The Fantastic Illustrations

I don’t know how well Forsyth’s original publication sold, but I think this updated version was a stroke of genius. The illustrations are in a classical, old-school-collage style. They’re humorous, fitting, and give me a slight sense of what a Steampunk scrapbook might look like.

Of course “Steampunk” is an interesting word—yet one that Forsyth didn’t discuss. Instead, he went for the curiously misunderstood term “cyberpunk”:

Punk turned into a generalised insult and then was taken as a badge of honour by noisy rockers in the 1970s. However, entomologists can still look at the term cyberpunk and wonder what these well-governed homosexuals are up to. (282)

Conclusion

This book was thoroughly enjoyable, if not at times slightly scandalous. I’ve learned a ton from it yet know that I could easily re-read it and come across info I didn’t catch the first time.

This would make for a great coffee-table book or bathroom reader, far better than the ones meant just to make you laugh. It does leave a little to be desired—for example, I wish he’d explain why the British seem to misspell everything—but I hear Forsyth has written other books as well, so perhaps he fills in the gaps elsewhere. I’ll be on the lookout for them.

©2026 E.T.