Rare English Dictionaries and Linguistics Collection

Topic(s) 

Language, grammar, orthography, translation.

Extent 

Circa 180 volumes.

Scope and content

The newly catalogued Rare English Dictionaries and Linguistics Collection maps the development of the English language through the 18th and 19th centuries. Highlights include works by Charles Annandale, Nathan Bailey, Joseph Worcester, Noah Webster, as well as James Murray’s multi-volume A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles (the precursor to the Oxford English Dictionary). For closely related pre-1800 items, see the Ogden Library and General Rare Books Collection. 

History

The collection was built up through donations from various sources and the transfer of material from the general UCL library collections.

Access

The collection is fully catalogued. To browse the records, conduct a keyword search for RAREENGLISHDICTIONARIES or RAREENGLISHLINGUISTICS on Explore.