A Shakespeare glossary

by Charles Talbut Onions

A justly famous aid to the study of Shakespeare, this glossary--originally compiled by C.T. Onions, an editor of the Oxford English Dictionary--clarifies those words in Sshakespeare whose senses or connotations may be unfamiliar to the modern reader, with special attention given to dialect forms, idioms, and colloquial phrases. Original in its explanations and illuminating in its definitions, the Glossary brings out the richness and subtley found in Elizabethan English. Incorporating the many advances made in the field since the last (revised) edition was published in 1919, this volume reveals new facts about the meanings of words in Shakfespeare, alters previous interpretations, and resolves earlier controversies. In addition, the book takes advantage of two highly accurate, computer based concordances that make ever occurrence of each word immediately accesssible for investigation and comparison. A reference work without peer, the Glossary is an essential source for students, scholars, playgoers and readers of Shakespeare, and those interested in the history of the English language.

Genres: Reference, Shakespeare, Nonfiction, Theatre, Literature

272 pages, Paperback

First published May 15, 1986

About the author

British philologist and lexicographer Charles Talbut Onions coedited the Oxford English Dictionary from 1914 to 1933.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles...

Reviews

[Suefitz4 · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must have for readers and lovers of Shakespeare!

[Redsteve · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very dry. Too much is focused on explaining jokes/references in the Bard's plays rather than Elizabethan language. Ah, well, Caveat Emptor. On the other hand, it's good enough for what it is.

[Carolyn]

Essential for any Shakespearean actor!

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Students in my classes use this text when doing close reading of Romeo and Juliet and King Lear. I discovered it while attending a workshop for teachers run by the Chicago Shakespeare Theater.