Discussion of words

"Angels, Barbarians and Nincompoops: ... and a Lot of Other Words You Thought You Knew" by Anthony Esolen. Tan Books (Charlotte, North Carolina, 2017). 280 pp., $24.95.If you're the type of person to ever wonder why the word "disgruntled" is commonplace, but calling someone "gruntled" decidedly less so, "Angels, Barbarians and Nincompoops" offers a rollicking ride through the forgotten histories of everyday words.Beyond just casual etymology, however, the book hopes to inspire a broader love of language as something to be understood and employed, rather than simply taken for granted or abused.Its author, Anthony Esolen, is a professor of lit…