Hardy, Thomas | Collection of letters to James Murray, suggesting words for the Oxford English Dictionary

Hardy, Thomas

A collection of letters written to James Murray, the lexicographer, 1906-1913

Comprising:

Autograph letter signed, to "Mr Murray," sharing architectural terminology, specifically relating to roofs including the word "pin = the hip of a roof," accompanied by drawings of different hips, with several other words including "pinner," a type of dress, "to querk = to grunt complainingly" and "to rane = to eat greedily," 3 pages, Max Gate, Dorchester, 31 January 1906 — Autograph letter signed, to "Sir James Murray," recommending, since "you seem to be in the letter T," two words: "tide-times" and "to toil (a trap)," 2 pages, Max Gate, Dorchester, 25 October 1910; small pin marks to lower margin — Autograph letter signed, to "Sir James Murray," concerning recent investigations of the words "theave" and "teg", conducted at "Dorchester market of farmers, auctioneers, shepherds, &c." He lists "theave or theave" and "teg" as words to describe a young sheep, Max Gate, Dorchester, 10 April 1911 — Autograph letter signed, to "Sir James Murray," giving the meaning of "there-sight, as used in Dorset, is "in that very place." with a follow up note about a line from Hobbes' Thucydides using the aforementioned phrase, 2 pages, Max Gate, Dorchester, 14 June 1911; small ink stain — Autograph letter signed, "to Sir James," concerning the definition of the word "tranter" and its origins, 2pp., Max Gate, Dorchester, 29 October 1913, on mourning paper — Autograph letter signed, to "Sir James Murray," recommending the word "uppingstock" as "a good old word," 1 page, Max Gate, Dorchester, [n.d. but after 1908] — Autograph note, with the definition of "tilt-bonnet," from Far From the Madding Crowd, with small sketch, 1 page.

Together seven letters and notes, mainly 8vo; lightly toned with fold marks.

A charming series of letters written over several years, suggesting words for Murray's rapidly growing dictionary.

This collection of letters demonstrates Hardy's careful compilation of lesser known words from the English dialect. They describe how Hardy would visit towns in Dorset and the surrounding counties and converse with local people including "farmers, auctioneers, shepherds, &c.," accumulating words and then sending them to Murray to be formally defined and thus preserved. Hardy often quotes his own books, like Far From the Madding Crowd, which contained numerous words that were either antiquated or regionally specific. Though his involvement with the Oxford English Dictionary was not as systematic as that of dedicated volunteer readers, Hardy’s writings significantly enriched the dictionary’s citations, bridging the gap between literary artistry and lexicography. The 1906 letter highlights Hardy's other passion: architecture, a field in which he was formally trained.

James Murray was chief editor of the Oxford English Dictionary. A self-taught linguist and philologist, Murray undertook the monumental task of compiling a comprehensive dictionary that traced the history and usage of every English word from its earliest appearance. Beginning in 1879, he directed a global network of volunteer readers who provided quotations from literature and other texts to illustrate word usage. Sir James worked on the dictionary until his death in 1915.

Sir William A. Craigie later took over the role of third and final editor. Following the completion of the first edition of the Oxford English Dictionary in 1928, Craigie then wished to pursue period specific dictionaries. The job for the early modern English dictionary fell to the University of Michigan and its Professor of English, Charles Carpenter Fries. Approximately 1.5 million slips were sent from Oxford to him. His wife, Agnes, describes how they were processed, "During 1928 we lived in Oxford and worked with a team of about ten people at tables in the Old Ashmolean building, emptying the boxes of slips which were brought to us there and sorting out, one by one, those slips which had to do with the period 1475 to 1700. It was a monotonous job. At the end of each week Charles piled all the materials into the trunk of our car and took them home to our room on the third floor at number 2 Wellington Square. On Sunday he spent most of the day carefully wrapping them in strong waterproof paper and tying them in 22 pound bundles, sealed with red wax into which he pressed the seal of the University of Michigan. On Monday morning we took them to the post office. The post office would not accept more than 22 pounds for parcel post. Two long summers were spent that way" (Bailey). Although the dictionary was never published, the work that Fries undertook formed the basis for much subsequent scholarship on the subject.

REFERENCES:

Bailey, R. W., 1978. Early Modern English: Additions and Antedatings to the Record of English Vocabulary, 1475-1700. Hildesheim: Georg Olms Verlag, 1978

PROVENANCE:

Professor Charles Carpenter Fries (Given to him by Sir William A. Craigie, final editor of the Oxford English Dictionary. A member of the Department of English of the University of Michigan, he was invited by Craigie to undertake the production of a Dictionary of Early Modern English) — Thus by descent