A Dictionary of the First or Oldest Words in the English Language / From the Semi-Saxon Period of A.D. 1250 to 1300

A DICTIONARY
OF THE FIRST, OR
OLDEST WORDS IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE:
FROM THE
SEMI-SAXON PERIOD OF A.D. 1250 TO 1300.
CONSISTING OF
An Alphabetical Inventory of
EVERY WORD FOUND IN THE PRINTED ENGLISH LITERATURE OF THE 13TH CENTURY.
BY THE LATE HERBERT COLERIDGE, SECRETARY TO THE PHILOLOGICAL SOCIETY.
LONDON: JOHN CAMDEN HOTTEN, PICCADILLY. M DCCC LXII.

All words are arranged under their modern forms, where such exist, but the older forms, except where utterly unimportant, are always noticed. The more remarkable of these older forms are also entered in the Glossary in their alphabetical order, with cross references to that under which the word is discussed. Thus under ‘Hymn’ and ‘Isle’ will be found the forms ‘ympne’ and ‘ydle;’ but ‘ympne’ and ‘ydle’ appear also in their proper places in the Glossary. Obsolete words are of course entered as they are spelt in the passage whence they are taken, a rule which applies as much to different forms of the same word, as to different words. As to the etymological matter, nothing further as a general rule has been attempted than to indicate the nearest cognate, or cognates, of the particular word; but it has not been thought necessary, or desirable, to load the Glossary with illustrations of this nature in very simple cases. I have to thank Hensleigh Wedgwood, Esq., for many kind and valuable suggestions in this part of my work.