Writing with the Historical Thesaurus of English

Presented at SHEL-12 (Studies in the History of the English Language), University of Washington (Seattle)

Transcript

1. Writing with the Historical Thesaurus of English Studies in the History of the English Language 12 University of Washington, May 2022 – Marc Alexander, Fraser Dallachy, and Andrew Struan University of Glasgow
2. historical thesaurus of english ht.ac.uk
3. Put at its simplest, its purpose is to provide a detailed record of the English vocabulary from the earliest times to the present, with sufficient accompanying information that, for any given period in the past, the user should be able to ascertain the exact state of the vocabulary (i.e. the ‘lexical system’) which existed at that time. Kay and Alexander (2020) ‘Why a Historical Thesaurus’ https://ht.ac.uk/why/
4. […] the primacy of meaning, and the analysis of meaning, as the essential tool and criterion for the study of any language [and] nothing less than classification, by meaning, of the whole if one is to begin to understand the parts. Kay and Alexander (2020) ‘Why a Historical Thesaurus’ https://ht.ac.uk/why/
5. […] a magnificent achievement of quite extraordinary value. It is perhaps the single most significant tool ever devised for investigating semantic, social and intellectual history.” Randolph Quirk (2009)
12. 804,830 235,249 Entries (Words) Categories (Concepts) 3.4 Words for each concept (on average)
13. michael samuels
14. christian j. kay
15. First edition OED Third Edition Modern Dictionaries Old English Dictionaries OED Additions Series (1993-1997) OED Supplements (1933, 1986) Oxford English Dictionary (1884-1928) Second supplement available after HT started Additional OED material before the (in-progress) third edition In progress since 2000 (When the OED wasn’t being updated, the Concise Oxford and Chambers) Bosworth-Toller (1882-1972) Clark Hall (1960) Dictionary of Old English (1986–, in progress)
16. Metaphor Families and Rises and Falls § Analysis of shifts in language § Words and concepts available to writers of English at any given point § Inception, development and expansion of concepts and ideas
17. Metaphor Families § Similar metaphorical roots and conceptualisations § Snapshots within language use at a particular time
19. § Wild and bestial § Crude and rude § Barbarous § Incivil § The Other
23. ‘the central significance of word choice in understanding the cultures and politics of [the] past’ Alexander & Struan 2013: 233
24. Creative Writing and the Thesaurus § Find period-appropriate vocabulary § Inspiration for alternative lexis § Realistic words, not presently in use § ‘Style’ of words, even if not using actual contents
25. Mary Robinette Kowal, Blog, ‘Words I Couldn’t Use in Glamour in Glass’
26. “I can hardly imagine any reference book more valuable for the historical novelist: here is the information we had to spend hours hunting down through the thickets and coverts of the great oed, shot, stuffed, and mounted for us. But quite apart from its usefulness, I congratulate oup on producing what will be the greatest and most enjoyable work-deferring device since the invention of computer Solitaire” Philip Pullman “I've been waiting nearly all my life for a book like this - as it turns out, literally! I am thrilled that the Historical Thesaurus is now a reality. The only problem is that I may dive in and never come out again. This is a word lover's dream.” Barbara Kingsolver “[The oed and the Historical Thesaurus together] are to a writer what an anvil is to a blacksmith.” Cory Doctorow
28. § Collaboration with creative writing and Centre for Fantasy and the Fantastic at Glasgow § Targeted interface for creative writing § To allow selection of: § semantic categories § date range § Resources for creative writing workshops/teaching Image: afternewton.wordpress.com The Time-Traveller’s Dictionary
29. Thank you! ht.ac.uk www.glasgow.ac.uk/samuels