The Evolution of English Lexicography (Classic Reprint) - Hardcover

James Augustus Henry Murray

9780484038508: The Evolution of English Lexicography (Classic Reprint)

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0484038508 ISBN 13: 9780484038508

Publisher: Forgotten Books, 2018

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The Evolution of English Lexicography traces the long, fascinating path from early glossaries to the modern dictionary, showing how English lexicography gradually grew through centuries of learning, writing, and collaboration.

From Latin glosses in medieval manuscripts to the rise of alphabetical vocabularies and dictionary projects, this work outlines the people, methods, and turning points that shaped how English words are collected, defined, and dated. It highlights the shifts in purpose—from teaching glosses to guiding usage and historical understanding—leading to the ambitious dictionary project that now documents English from its earliest records to present meanings.

Explains how interlinear glosses preserved Old English and other languages for future readers.
Shows the move from scattered vocabularies to organized, alphabetical collections.
Tracks early dictionaries and their limits, up to the birth of a historical, principle-based dictionary.
Describes the Philological Society’s role and the ambitious effort behind the Oxford English Dictionary.

Ideal for readers interested in language history, lexicography, and the development of English study.

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