A Concise Anglo-Saxon Dictionary / For the Use of Students

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

31543

Title

A Concise Anglo-Saxon Dictionary / For the Use of Students

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

A Concise Anglo-Saxon Dictionary serves as an essential reference tool for students of Old English. Revised and enlarged for the second edition, it offers a practical guide to Anglo-Saxon vocabulary, etymology, and usage. The text features updated spelling arrangements, extensive cross-references to the Oxford English Dictionary, and detailed notes on textual sources, making it a comprehensive resource for linguistic study and historical research.

Summary up to 500 words

John R. Clark Hall's *A Concise Anglo-Saxon Dictionary* serves as a meticulously revised lexical resource specifically designed for students of Old English. The second edition represents a significant departure from the first, abandoning the unscientific practice of arranging entries strictly by original spelling. Instead, it adopts a more accessible system where head forms are either normalized or reflect actual occurrences, thereby reducing errors and inconsistencies. A pivotal innovation in this edition is the introduction of extensive cross-references to the New English Dictionary (now the Oxford English Dictionary). These references allow users to access a vast reservoir of information regarding etymology, meaning, and textual occurrences that would otherwise be overlooked under obsolete headings, effectively acting as a practical index to the larger dictionary. The work integrates valuable contributions from recent lexicographical scholarship, incorporating findings from experts such as Napier, Swaen, Schlüter, Förster, and Wulfing. To aid clarity, the dictionary systematically marks words occurring exclusively in poetical texts, distinguishing them from those found in prose. It also provides specific references to passages in prose texts for rare entries, particularly those marked as *sparsa legomena*. The text is enriched with a comprehensive list of abbreviations and signs that explain textual sources, grammatical terms, and manuscript references, including specific notations for Early West Saxon and Late West Saxon prose. Vocabulary coverage is extensive, ranging from common nouns and verbs to specialized terms related to geography, law, and daily life. Entries often provide Latin equivalents and German cognates to facilitate understanding. The dictionary acts as a bridge between Old English and Middle English, guiding students toward interesting examples of the language's evolution. By integrating references to major editions of Anglo-Saxon texts, the work facilitates a deeper understanding of the language's development while remaining a practically complete index for students navigating the complexities of Anglo-Saxon lexicography.

LLM editorial rating

4.5/5

Download URL

https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/31543.epub.noimages

Local file path

data/epubs/pg31543.epub

Download EPUB

Downloaded at

2026-07-06 08:00 UTC

Categories

• Dictionaries
• English Language