Language and Literature Reference Sources: General
- Oxford English Dictionary (OED) This link opens in a new window
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The accepted authority on the evolution of the English language over the last millennium. It is an unsurpassed guide to the meaning, history, and pronunciation of over half a million words, both present and past. | Watch Video Tutorial
- The Oxford Dictionary of Literary TermsClear, concise definitions of literary terms.
- The Oxford Dictionary of American Usage and StyleAnswers to common problems with English grammar, usage, and style.
- A Dictionary of Critical TheoryCovers the whole range of critical theory, including the Frankfurt school, cultural materialism, gender studies, literary theory, hermeneutics, historical materialism, and sociopolitical critical theory.
- Concise Oxford Companion to the English LanguageA compact, authoritative, and up-to-date source of information about the English language.
- The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English EtymologyContains a wealth of information about the English language and its history.
- The Oxford Dictionary of Word OriginsEntries include first known use along with examples that illustrate different uses of a particular word or phrase.
- The Concise Oxford Dictionary of LinguisticsCovers every aspect of this multidisciplinary field, including sociolinguistics, language theory and history, language families, and major languages from all over the world (including major national/regional dialects), phonetics, formal semantics, and key figures and ideas in linguistics.
- A New Dictionary of EponymsDiscusses the histories behind hundreds of eponyms--words derived from a person's name.
- Oxford Dictionary of English IdiomsDefinitions and background on English idioms.
- The Oxford Dictionary of Modern SlangCovers English slang words from the twentieth century to present.
- The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and FableCovers classical and other mythologies, history, religion, folk customs, superstitions, science and technology, philosophy, and popular culture.
- The Oxford Dictionary of ProverbsEntries on the histories of widely used proverbs in English.
- The Oxford Dictionary of Reference and AllusionExplains the meanings of allusions in modern English.
- Oxford Dictionary of RhymesRhymes for 45,000 words, including proper names, place names, and foreign terms used in English.
- A Dictionary of English Manuscript Terminology 1450–2000Information about manuscripts and their production and use in Britain from 1450 to the present day.
- A Dictionary of Writers and their WorksA guide to canonical British authors and their works from the fifteenth century to present.
- Dictionary of Literary Biography This link opens in a new windowProvides nearly 10,000 biographical and critical essays on the lives, works, and careers of the world's most influential literary figures from all eras and genres
- Brewer's Dictionary of Modern Phrase and FableWith its unique blend of word and phrase etymology, cultural allusion and general knowledge, and its predilection for the esoteric and the unexpected, this title offers a richly diverse and entertaining exploration of the linguistic and cultural landscape of the modern world. It runs the whole gamut of contemporary culture, from American Psycho to Dadaism and G and T to Lara Croft.
- Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and FableFeatures entries on everything from blogs and designer babies to New York's mysterious sewer-dwelling alligators, as well as a selection of 'heritage entries' from a Victorian edition of Brewer's: see enchanted castles, magic garters and poison detectors.
Online Reference Sources
Reference sources - such as dictionaries, encyclopedias, handbooks, almanacs, directories, and compendia of various sorts - are useful for gathering background information, definitions, and quick facts. Carmichael Library is fortunate to subscribe to two online collections of cross-searchable reference sources:
- Credo Reference This link opens in a new windowCredo Online Reference helps researchers build context by allowing them to search across the full-text of hundreds of reference sources.
- Oxford Reference Online: Premium This link opens in a new window
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Allows cross-searching of prestigious reference works published by Oxford University Press. | Watch Video Tutorial
