Subject Guides
Guide Contents
Introduction
Use specialized dictionaries and encyclopedias for background information on a topic (e.g. field within English), biographical information for an author, and definitions of literature terms, and of words in Old and Middle English.
Reference Resources
- English Short Title CatalogueProvides extensive descriptions and holdings information for letterpress materials printed in Great Britain or any of its dependencies in any language - as well as for materials printed in English anywhere else in the world from 1473-1800.
- Oxford Dictionary of National BiographyBiographies of people who shaped the history of the British Isles and beyond, from the 4th century BC to the 21st century.
Dictionaries
- Dictionary of Old EnglishThe Dictionary of Old English (DOE) defines the vocabulary of the first six centuries (C.E. 600-1150) of the English language.
- Middle English DictionaryThe world's largest searchable database of Middle English lexicon and usage for the period 1100-1500. An invaluable resource for lexicographers, language scholars, and all scholars in medieval studies.
- Oxford English Dictionary (OED) This link opens in a new windowWidely regarded as the accepted authority on the English language. It is an unsurpassed guide to the meaning, history, and pronunciation of 600,000 words— past and present—from across the English-speaking world. Off campus access may require use of the VPN.
- Oxford Classical DictionaryThe new Oxford Classical Dictionary consists of a continuously growing collection of over 6,500 entries with new and revised entries published online on a monthly basis. OCD has a broader chronological, geographical, and cultural reach than the fourth edition, featuring new articles on gender studies, Late Antiquity, Christianity, Jewish studies, Near East, Bronze Age, linguistics, and reception.
