Editing Old English (section)

== Dictionaries ==
=== Early history ===
The earliest history of Old English [[lexicography]] lies in the Anglo-Saxon period itself, when English-speaking scholars created English [[glosses]] on Latin texts. At first, these were often [[marginalia|marginal]] or [[interlinear]] glosses; however, they soon came to be gathered into word-lists such as the [[Épinal-Erfurt glossary|Épinal-Erfurt]], [[Leiden Glossary|Leiden]] and [[Corpus Glossary|Corpus]] Glossaries. Over time, these word-lists were consolidated and alphabetised to create extensive Latin–Old English glossaries with some of the character of dictionaries, such as the [[Cleopatra Glossaries]], the [[Harley Glossary]] and the [[Brussels Glossary]].<ref>Patrizia Lendinara, 'Anglo-Saxon Glosses and Glossaries: An Introduction', in Anglo-Saxon Glosses and Glossaries (Aldershot: Variorum, 1999), pp.&nbsp;1–26.</ref> In some cases, the material in these glossaries continued to be circulated and updated in [[Middle English]] glossaries, such as the [[Durham Plant-Name Glossary]] and the [[Laud Herbal Glossary]].<ref>''{{lang|de|Das Durhamer Pflanzenglossar: lateinisch und altenglish}}'', ed. by Bogislav von Lindheim, Beiträge zur englischen Philologie, 35 (Bochum-Langendreer: Poppinghaus, 1941).</ref>

Old English lexicography was revived in the early modern period, drawing heavily on Anglo-Saxons' own glossaries. The major publication at this time was [[William Somner]]'s ''Dictionarium Saxonico-Latino-Anglicum''.<ref>William Somner, ''Dictionarium Saxonico-Latino-Anglicum'', English Linguistics 1500–1800 (A Collection of Facsimile Reprints), 247 (Menston: The Scholar Press, 1970).</ref> The next substantial Old English dictionary was [[Joseph Bosworth]]'s ''Anglo-Saxon Dictionary'' of 1838.

=== Modern ===
In modern scholarship, the following dictionaries remain current:
* [[Angus Cameron (academic)|Cameron, Angus]], et al. (ed.) (1983–). ''[[Dictionary of Old English]]''. Toronto: Published for the Dictionary of Old English Project, Centre for Medieval Studies, University of Toronto by the Pontifical Institute of Medieval Studies. Initially issued on microfiche and subsequently as a CD-ROM, the dictionary is now primarily published online at [https://www.doe.utoronto.ca/ https://www.doe.utoronto.ca]. This generally supersedes previous dictionaries where available. As of September 2018, the dictionary covered A-I.
* [[Bosworth, Joseph]] and [[T. Northcote Toller]]. (1898). ''[[An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary]]''. Oxford: Clarendon. The main research dictionary for Old English, unless superseded by the ''Dictionary of Old English''. Various digitisations are available open-access, including at [http://bosworth.ff.cuni.cz/ http://bosworth.ff.cuni.cz/]. Due to errors and omissions in the 1898 publication, this needs to be read in conjunction with:
** T. Northcote Toller. (1921). ''An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary: Supplement''. Oxford: Clarendon.
** Alistair Campbell (1972). ''An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary: Enlarged addenda and corrigenda''. Oxford: Clarendon.
* [[Clark Hall, J. R.]] (1969). ''A Concise Anglo-Saxon Dictionary''. 4th rev. edn by Herbet D. Meritt. Cambridge University Press. Occasionally more accurate than Bosworth-Toller, and widely used as a reading dictionary. Various digitisations are available, including [https://www.ling.upenn.edu/~kurisuto/germanic/oe_clarkhall_about.html here].
* Roberts, Jane and [[Christian Kay]], with Lynne Grundy, ''A Thesaurus of Old English in Two Volumes'', Costerus New Series, 131–32, 2nd rev. impression, 2 vols (Amsterdam: Rodopi, 2000), also available [https://oldenglishthesaurus.arts.gla.ac.uk/ online]. A thesaurus based on the definitions in Bosworth-Toller and the structure of ''[[Roget's Thesaurus]]''.

Though focused on later periods, the ''[[Oxford English Dictionary]]'', ''[[Middle English Dictionary]]'', ''[[Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue]]'', and ''[[Historical Thesaurus of English]]'' all also include material relevant to Old English.