Research Guides: Comparative Literature: Dictionaries, Encyclopedias, and Histories

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Dictionaries and Thesauri

Aside from the Oxford English Dictionary (or OED), we have a number of other dictionaries available to you in both print and digital formats. Here is a sampling of some of the many dictionaries you will find at Bobst:

Credo Reference This link opens in a new window
Online collection of dictionaries, encyclopedias, biographical sources, quotations, bilingual dictionaries, and measurement conversions covering topics from the arts to the sciences.
Oxford Language Dictionaries Online This link opens in a new window
Offers fully searchable bilingual dictionaries, and unique study materials that provide extra help with learning and using an expanding range of languages. Includes dictionaries for Arabic, Chinese, German, French, Italian, Russian, and Spanish.

Dictionary of Old English, Old English corpus
Contains all surviving Old English material (over 3000 texts), excluding some variant texts. Each text includes a reference to its genre, period and language; a unique text number; a Cameron number; a short and expanded title used to identify the text in the Dictionary of Old English.
Middle English Compendium
The Middle English Compendium has been designed to offer easy access to and interconnectivity between three major Middle English electronic resources: an electronic version of the Middle English Dictionary, a HyperBibliography of Middle English prose and verse, based on the MED bibliographies, and a Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse, as well as links to an associated network of electronic resources.
Middle English Dictionary (online)
The print Middle English Dictionary, now complete, has been described as "the greatest achievement in medieval scholarship in America." Its 15,000 pages offer a comprehensive analysis of lexicon and usage for the period 1100-1500, based on the analysis of a collection of over three million citation slips, the largest collection of this kind available. This electronic version of the MED preserves all the details of the print MED, but goes far beyond this, by converting its contents into an enormo

The Oxford English Dictionary

The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) is the most comprehensive dictionary of the English language. The NYU Libraries offer access both online and in print:

Oxford English Dictionary (OED) This link opens in a new window
The Oxford English Dictionary is the authority on the evolution of the English language over the last millennium. It is a guide to the meaning, history, and pronunciation of over half a million words, both present and past. It traces the usage of words through 2.5 million quotations from a wide range of international English language sources, from classic literature and specialist periodicals to film scripts and cookery books.

The Oxford English Dictionary by Edmund S. Weiner (Editor); John Simpson (Editor)
Call Number: Bobst 1st floor reference, PE1625 .O87 1989 Non-circulating
ISBN: 9780198611868
Publication Date: 1989-03-30

Reference works for comparative literature

A Companion to Comparative Literature by Ali Behdad (Editor); Dominic Thomas (Editor)
Call Number: Electronic Resource
ISBN: 9781444342789
A Companion to Comparative Literature presents a collection of more than thirty original essays from established and emerging scholars, which explore the history, current state, and future of comparative literature.
A Dictionary of Literary and Thematic Terms by Edward Quinn
Call Number: PN44.5 .Q56 2006
ISBN: 9780816062430
Employing an expanded use of the word "literary," this volume includes social, theoretical, and historical terms as they relate to literature, film, television, and others forms of popular culture. In addition to the many expected terms (iamb, onomatopoeia), entries on places (Abbey Theatre), philosophical principles (the Absolute), movements (futurism), and discussions on major themes such as love and jealousy are also covered. Most of the clear, concise entries offer excellent examples of written and cinematic works that further clarify the definitions and/or titles of resources that provide additional commentary on the topics.
Encyclopedia of Literary Translation into English by Olive Classe
Call Number: PN241 .E43 2000
ISBN: 9781884964367
Includes articles about translations of the works of specific authors and also more general topics pertaining to literary translation.
Routledge Encyclopedia of Translation Studies by Mona Baker (Editor); Gabriela Saldanha (Editor)
Call Number: P306 .E57 1998
ISBN: 9781317391746

Etymology: researching word history

You can find reference books on word histories in English starting at the PE 1580 call number range in the Reference Center on the first floor of Bobst Library. The following are digital texts focused on etymology:

Cassell Dictionary of Word Histories by Adrian Room
Call Number: Reference PE1580 .C27 1999 Non-circulating
ISBN: 9780304350070
Publication Date: 1999-05-01
This guide gives the origins and histories of over 20,000 English words. It shows when each word first appeared in written English and gives details of source languages and forms. Words derived from famous individuals, places and events are listed, and included is an explanation of how the meaning of certain words have altered over time. Examples of related words and forms are also included.
The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology by T.F. Hoad
Call Number: Reference PE1580 .C66 1993 Non-circulating
ISBN: 9780192830982
Publication Date: 1993-07-29
With over 17,000 entries, this is the most authoritative and comprehensive guide to word origins available in paperback. A fascinating reference, this principal authority on the origin and development of English words contains a wealth of information about our language and its history.
The Oxford Dictionary of Word Histories by Glynnis Chantrell (Editor)
Call Number: Reference PE1580 .O94 2002 Non-circulating
ISBN: 9780198631217
Publication Date: 2002-10-18
The Oxford Dictionary of Word Histories describes the origins and sense development of thousands of core words of the English language; dates are given where recorded evidence of use has been found sourced by the ongoing research for the Oxford English Dictionary.