The Shakespeare Conference: SHK 13.2437  Thursday, 19 December 2002

[1]     From:   Mike Jensen <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
        Date:   Wednesday, 18 Dec 2002 08:24:44 -0800
        Subj:   Re: SHK 13.2427 Re: OED and Shakespeare

[2]     From:   Tony Burton <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
        Date:   Wednesday, 18 Dec 2002 11:51:26 -0500
        Subj:   Re: SHK 13.2427 Re: OED and Shakespeare


[1]-----------------------------------------------------------------
From:           Mike Jensen <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
Date:           Wednesday, 18 Dec 2002 08:24:44 -0800
Subject: 13.2427 Re: OED and Shakespeare
Comment:        Re: SHK 13.2427 Re: OED and Shakespeare

Mr. Cantrell wrote:

>There is some circularity in this business. Frequently OED cites
>Shakespeare as the first etymological entry for a particular usage, and
>the chain of annotators of the plays will cite the definition from OED
>(taken from Shakespeare) in their glosses.

As stated, that does appear to be circular.  How does Mr. Cantrell
suggest overcoming this problem?

Mike Jensen

[2]-------------------------------------------------------------
From:           Tony Burton <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
Date:           Wednesday, 18 Dec 2002 11:51:26 -0500
Subject: 13.2427 Re: OED and Shakespeare
Comment:        Re: SHK 13.2427 Re: OED and Shakespeare

Another vote for the misleading circularity that can accompany OED
citations.  Sometimes the OED projects backward in time a usage that
arose out of a later misunderstanding of Shakespeare's meaning, which
then became a new standard meaning on the supposed authority of what
Shakespeare never meant.  I wrote an article eight or nine years ago for
The Upstart Crow, that addressed this issue (among many others) in
respect of the word "havoc" as used in Fortinbras's "this quarry cries
on havoc."

In dealing with OED and Shakespeare, I treat it as a guide, not an
authority, whenever something important hinges on the definition cited.

Tony B

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