Trace how English lexicography grew from medieval glosses to the monumental Oxford English Dictionary, and why words matter.
This accessible history explains the origins of English dictionaries, from early glossaries and vocabularies to the first modern efforts in the 1600s. It illuminates how scholars, editors, and editors-to-be shaped our understanding of words, meanings, and usage across centuries.
Readers will meet the people, ideas, and turning points that propelled lexicography forward, and see how the work evolved into a systematic historical project that records the life of every word.
- Discover how glossaries and vocabularies laid the groundwork for alphabetical dictionaries
- Learn about early English lexicographers and the first major dictionaries
- Understand the shift from simply listing words to documenting history, form, and usage
- See how a collaborative, long-term scholarly project culminated in a historical dictionary for modern learners
Ideal for readers of language history and word lovers seeking a clear picture of how our dictionaries came to be.