The Englishing of Latin headwords in Elyot's Dictionary (1538)

Conference item

Elyot's dictionary is the first Latin-English dictionary in which all the Latin headwords are glossed (translated and/or explained) in English. It was published at a time when the English vocabulary had to be expanded and differentiated so that the vernacular might express the new learning couched in Latin and spreading all over Europe. The paper investigates the various approaches used by Elyot to make his readers understand the meaning of Latin words, to render different senses of words, to identify disputed language use and to go some way towards introducing English neologisms.

Authors: Stein, G

• Alternative title: Presented at Historical Dictionaries 2 session
• Publication status: Not published
• Peer review status: Reviewed (other)
• Language: English
• Subjects: English Language and Literature; Latin