Sixteenth-Century English Dictionaries

The first volume in a trilogy on dictionaries in the English-speaking world from 1500-1800 explores the dictionaries, wordlists, and glossaries compiled and used by speakers of English during this period, including printed dictionaries, Latin dictionaries, modern language dictionaries, and specialized English wordlists. The book emphasizes the cultural significance of these lexicographical works and the human stories behind their creation and use.

Format: Hardback
Length: 496 pages
Publication date: 08 April 2022
Publisher: Oxford University Press

This first volume in the trilogy Dictionaries in the English-Speaking World, 1500-1800, presents a groundbreaking new history of lexicography in and beyond the early modern British Isles. Spanning from the end of the Middle Ages to the year 1600, the volume delves into the dictionaries, wordlists, and glossaries compiled and utilized by English speakers during this period. These encompass a wide range of materials, including the earliest printed dictionaries that gathered English words, the Latin dictionaries that were indispensable to all educated English speakers, ranging from young children to renowned authors like Shakespeare and even monarchs, dictionaries of modern languages that facilitated English-speakers' access to the languages and cultures of continental Europe, dictionaries and wordlists documenting various languages such as Armenian, Malagasy, and Welsh, as well as a multitude of specialized English wordlists. Until now, no comprehensive account has explored this vast and culturally significant lexicographical output. At the heart of this book and its trilogy is a guiding principle: a story about dictionaries must also be a story about human beings. John Considine provides a comprehensive and empathetic account of those who compiled and utilized these works, as well as those who financially supported them. He pays particular attention to records of dictionary use and its traces in surviving copies, offering a rich and detailed perspective on the individuals and communities involved. This volume will captivate scholars and enthusiasts alike with its insights into the languages and literary cultures of the sixteenth-century English-speaking world.

Weight: 800g
Dimension: 240 x 160 x 28 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780198832287