Abstract

This paper builds on previous research into the making of the English Dialect Dictionary: Thompson (2006), Markus (2009), Beal (2010), among others. It examines the contribution of Bishop White Kennett’s unpublished Etymological Collections of English Words and Provincial Expressions (1690s), also known as MS Lansd. 1033, to Joseph Wright’s dictionary. The paper applies quantitative methods of analysis in order to ascertain the proportion of words which were illustrated by means of Kennett’s data, and to assess the treatment that Wright gave to them. Also, the paper attempts to show the important information contained in Kennett’s document, arguing that it is a valid resource for regional dialect investigation. In doing so, there is hope that this paper may cast some light upon the documentary structure of the English Dialect Dictionary, and contribute to our understanding of the documents that were taken as testimonies to Late Modern English dialects.

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