An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary facts for kids
An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary is a special dictionary that helps us understand Old English. Old English is a very old form of the English language, also known as Anglo-Saxon. This dictionary has been published four times. For a long time, it was seen as the most important dictionary for studying Old English words. People often call it by the names of the people who created it, like Bosworth or Bosworth & Toller.
Contents
Understanding Old English Words
This dictionary is super helpful for anyone who wants to read or learn about Old English. Imagine trying to read a book from over a thousand years ago! Words have changed a lot since then. This dictionary helps you find out what those old words meant.
How the Dictionary Grew Over Time
This important dictionary wasn't made all at once. It was updated and improved over many years by different scholars.
The First Edition: 1838
The very first version of the dictionary came out in 1838. It was written by a scholar named Joseph Bosworth. Later, in 1858, he became a special professor at the University of Oxford. This job was all about studying Anglo-Saxon. To honor his work, the name of this professorship was later changed to include his name.
The Revised Edition: 1898
About 60 years later, in 1898, a new version was published. Even though it still had Joseph Bosworth's name on it, a lot of the work was done by Thomas Northcote Toller. He updated Bosworth's original dictionary, using Bosworth's notes and adding many new words and definitions himself.
Adding More Words: 1921
Thomas Northcote Toller wasn't finished yet! In 1921, he released a special "supplement." This was like an extra book that added even more words and corrections to the dictionary.
The Final Update: 1972
The most recent update to the dictionary came out in 1972. This time, Alistair Campbell worked on it. He added even more new words and fixed more mistakes, making the dictionary even more complete.
See also
- Toronto Dictionary of Old English, an attempt to compile a comprehensive and exhaustive dictionary beginning in 1970, founding editors Angus Cameron and Christopher Ball.
