Herbert Coleridge
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Herbert Coleridge (1830-April 23, 1861) was a British philologist, technically the first editor of what ultimately became the Oxford English Dictionary.
He was son of Sara Coleridge and so a grandson of the poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge. He earned a double first in Classics and mathematics at Balliol College, Oxford. After graduation, he became a barrister, but, living off a small annuity, devoted most of his time and energy in linguistics studies. He was appointed to undertake the great dictionary project at the age of mere 27. A dedicated editor, he died of tuberculosis after completing some fundamental work for the project, at the age of 31.
Works
- A Glossarial Index to the Printed English Literature of the Thirteenth Century. London: Trubner & Co., 1859.
- 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. London: John Camden Hotten, 1863.
Reference
- The Meaning of Everything: The Story of the Oxford English Dictionary, Simon Winchester, Oxford University Press, 2003, hardcover, ISBN 0198607024. See pp.50-58
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