Edward Lhwyd, lexicographer

Conference item

Edward Lhwyd (or Lhuyd) c.1660-1709 is justly regarded as the founding father of Celtic Studies as he was the first person to study all the living Celtic languages and to note their affinities. While Keeper of the Ashmolean Museum at Oxford he undertook a four-year journey to collect linguistic material (and very much else besides) in the Celtic countries, and some of the fruits of his researches were published in his Archaeologia Britannica of 1707. As a trailblazer with few materials to aid him it required a great deal of effort and perseverance to learn the languages. Partly to aid his studies but also to ensure that others could build on the knowledge that he had gleaned he produced grammars and dictionaries of a number of languages and these remain of interest today. After a brief overview of his life and accomplishments this paper will look at the wide range of lexicographical material which he produced himself or caused to be produced, including works on Cornish, Irish and Basque.

Authors: Evans, D

• Alternative title: Presented at Celtic/Scots lexicography session
• Publication status: Not published
• Peer review status: Reviewed (other)
• Language: English
• Subjects: Celtic; Languages (Medieval and Modern) and non-English literature; Lexicography