A Dictionary of Medieval Terms and Phrases (repost)
Christopher Coredon, Ann Williams - A Dictionary of Medieval Terms and Phrases
D.S.Brewer | 2004 | ISBN: 1843840235 | Pages: 318 | PDF | 1.38 MB
This dictionary contains some 3,400 terms as headwords. It is aimed at the non-academic reader of history who often encounters technical words and phrases whose precise meaning is assumed by the writer. The subject matter ranges from the legal and ecclesiastic to the more humdrum words of daily life. As Latin was the language of the church, law and government records there are many Latin terms, frequently found in modern books of history of the period. Similarly, readers find Old English and Middle English terms used which may be familiar but of whose exact meaning they are uncertain. This dictionary endeavours to provide clarity to such readers. In addition to definition, etymologies of many words are offered because it is felt that knowing the origin and evolution of a word contributes to its better understanding; as a further illustration, some terms and phrases are shown in contemporary use.