Bøker av Adrian Room

Humankind have long viewed animals as if they shared human characteristics. Naturally this view is expressed in the naming of the beloved family pet, a farm animal, a race horse, an exotic bird, an insect, or any other animal. Arranged by type of name (genetic, descriptive, incident, link, group, pedigree and show, horse and hound, farm, famous, mythical and legendary, and fictional), this is a reference to how people name animals. For each type there is an introductory section followed by numerous examples with the stories behind the particular name.

This work gives the origins and meanings of geographical and political features of the former Soviet Union. All 15 countries that were once part of the U.S.S.R. are included. Each of the more than 2,000 entries provides, first, the name of the feature along with its Cyrillic counterpart, followed by the country, and the geographical location within the country; an account of the name's origin and meaning then follows, with appropriate historical, topographical and biographical references. Cross references provide former names and alternate spellings or forms of current names.

Presents the histories of the creation of 3,500 titles for symphonies, operas, oratorios, ballets, orchestral works, choral works, chamber music, keyboard compositions, and songs, ranging from the popular to the obscure.

A dictionary of 3,000 works of art that explains the meaning behind the titles. It includes entries that provide an English title when necessary, the artist's name, when known, the date of creation, the location unless a work is not extant, and an explanation of the title. It also includes a bibliography and an index of artists.

Provides a user-friendly pronunciation guide for over 12,000 placenames worldwide. This reference dictionary includes easy-to-read phonetic alphabet, which uses only standard English letters. From Aachen, Germany (pronounced Ah kun) to Zywiec, Poland (pronounced Zhi vets), entries include familiar world placenames as well as less familiar names.

An alphabetical dictionary of over 4000 placenames in both France and Corsica. It lists natural features such as rivers, mountains and islands; administrative regions such as historical provinces and modern departments; and inhabited centers such as cities, towns and villages.

Contains over 4,500 name changes worldwide, ranging from small villages to entire countries.

A placename is often much more than just a label. A name may bespeak the history of a nation, the culture of a people, or the hopes of an individual. Such connections are revealed in this very large reference work on placenames of the world, which offers an in-depth look at the origins of each.First published in 1997, this 2006 edition contains 6,000+ entries--natural features such as mountains, rivers and lakes and human entities such as cities and countries. Each entry includes the name of the feature; a brief description and its geographical location; and the origin of the name with relevant historical, biographical and topographical details. Appendices give the meanings of common elements of non-English placenames (e.g., Abu, as in Abu Dhabi, means ""father of""); major placenames in European languages (e.g., Pays-Bas and Paesi Bassi are the French and Italian names, respectively, for what English speakers call the Netherlands); and transcribed Chinese-language equivalents for the names of the world''s countries and capitals.

Provides definitions of over 8,000 terms used in sports and games - both mainstream and the more obscure - from around the world. Entries cover specialized jargon (such as 'doosra', 'yorker' and 'bunt') equipment, strategies, venues, qualifying categories, awards, and administrative bodies. A comprehensive system of cross-references offers is also included to aid clarification.

A geographical dictionary that lists past and present alternate names of more than 7,000 places. It focuses on placenames with official or semiofficial status rather than nicknames or colloquial abbreviations. It also includes Appendices that focus on placenames in non-English languages and on places which have been renamed in fictional works.

First Published in 2000. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.