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RandomGirl's avatar

Is there a searchable online dictionary from the 17- or 1800s?

Asked by RandomGirl (3362points) February 21st, 2013

I’m writing a paper to analyze an old hymn. I’d like to include the old definition of a few words. I googled it a bit but couldn’t find anything. Am I going to have to make a trip to the library?

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6 Answers

gailcalled's avatar

Google each word individually and look at the etymology.

gailcalled (54644points)“Great Answer” (1points) Flag as…
janbb's avatar

You probably want to check the OED (Oxford English Dictionary) which is available online but probably only through a library’s database.

janbb (62875points)“Great Answer” (2points) Flag as…
thorninmud's avatar

The Online Etymology Dictionary is pretty good at tracing the evolution of meaning through various time periods.

thorninmud (20495points)“Great Answer” (4points) Flag as…
RandomGirl's avatar

I think I found what I needed. Thanks, guys.

RandomGirl (3362points)“Great Answer” (1points) Flag as…
thorninmud's avatar

And here’s a digitized version of Samuel Johnson’s dictionary (1755).

thorninmud (20495points)“Great Answer” (4points) Flag as…
glacial's avatar

@janbb I love the OED, especially for etymology.

glacial (12145points)“Great Answer” (1points) Flag as…

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