A History of Cant and Slang Dictionaries: Volume 1: 1567-1784 [Hardcover]

Julie Coleman (Author)

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Product Details

Hardcover: 272 pages
Publisher: Oxford University Press (May 26 2004)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0199254710
ISBN-13: 978-0199254712
Product Dimensions: 23.6 x 15.2 x 2.5 cm
Shipping Weight: 590 g
Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #1,917,066 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Review

In each volume, Coleman's depth and range of scholarship is complemented by the clarity and humour of her narrative, making the series both an invaluable addition to the history of lexicography and a pleasure to read. Kate Wild, International Journal of Lexicography

Book Description

This is the first volume in a complete history of the documentation of English cant and slang from 1567 to the present. It gives unparalleled insights into the early history of slang, the people who used it, and how and why it was recorded. Well over a hundred glossaries of cant and slang were published between 1567 and 1784. The cant lists reveal the secret language allegedly used by thieves and beggars to conceal their illicit conspiracies: Dr Coleman investigates where and how they were produced and the relationship between such lists and canting literature. She considers why this period was so fascinated by crime and by criminals, and apparently so obsessed with the need to record their language. How far, she asks, are the lists genuine records of contemporary cant, and how far the products of literary invention? Who produced them, and how were they researched? Who bought them, and what did they hope to gain from them? This absorbing and astute book will be an invaluable resource for anyone interested in English slang and its history. It also provides unusual and unexpected insights into the underworlds of early modern England.

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