A Glossary: Or, Collection of Words, Phrases, Names and Allusions to Customs, Proverbs, etc. Which Have Been Thought to Require Illustration, in the Works of English Authors

Originally published in 1822, Robert Nares’ glossary of antiquated Elizabethan terms is the result of a personal interest in and love of Elizabethan literature. Nares (1753-1829), well known as a scholar and clergyman, was also a keen philologist and antiquary. This glossary was undertaken in his spare time, and compiled over forty years as he was often occupied with various academic and clerical duties, including founding the British Critic and editing it for twenty years (1793-1813), and becoming Keeper of Manuscripts at the British Museum (1799-1807). It has long been a useful guide for the ‘average reader’ (in his own words), as its several reprintings during the nineteenth century demonstrate. His love of the English language was reflected in his previous work, Elements of Orthoepy (1784), which concerned itself with ascertaining correct pronunciation from Shakespeare’s time onwards and exploring contemporary variations in the language.