Meanderings of Memory

Last updated

Meanderings of Memory is a rare book published in London in 1852 and attributed to Nightlark (probably a pseudonym). Although it is cited as a first or early source for over 50 entries in the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), the current OED editors have been unable to locate a surviving copy. [1] OED editors made their search for the elusive source public in May 2013. [2]

Contents

OED citations

The OED is a comprehensive multi-volume historical dictionary, whose first edition was published in installments called fascicles between 1884 and 1928. [3] The definition of every sense of every headword entry is accompanied by quotations, listed chronologically, from cited sources, to illustrate when and how the word was used. [4] These citations were mostly submitted to the editors by volunteer readers in what current OED editors describe as an early instance of what is now called crowdsourcing. [3] The editors selected a subset of quotations, including the earliest one for a given sense, for inclusion. [4] They typically verified the citations given, though some might be taken on trust based on the submitter's reputation or previous reliability. [4] [5]

The first edition of the OED included citations from Meanderings of Memory for senses of 50 entries: chapelled, cock-a-bondy, couchward, day, dike/dyke, droop, dump, epistle, extemporize, fancy, flambeau, flesh, foodless, fringy, full, gigantomachy, goal, goalward, hearthward, idol, inscriptionless, lump, peaceless, rape, re- (prefix), reliefless, rheumatize, sanctuaried, sap, sarcophage, scarf, scavage, shoe, slippery, sun, templed, transplanter, tribe, tribunal, trouse, trunked, un- (prefix), unbusy, unstuff, vermined, vulgar, warmthless, wen, whinge, and width. [6] In 2010, the third edition of the OED added the word revirginize, [7] whose earliest citation is the 51st from Meanderings of Memory. [8] Inspection of the original submission slips in the OED archive in 2013 revealed that they came from Edward Peacock (1831–1915), an antiquary, writer, and regular OED volunteer reader living near Brigg in Lincolnshire. [2]

Citations of Meanderings of Memory in the Oxford English Dictionary
Headword (class)Meanderings refQuotationForm and/or senseRef
[n 1]
chapelled (ppl adjective)The Chapelled templerchapelled [ned 1]
cock-a-bondyWho can trim a cock~abundy, turn a rod with him?cock-a-bondy [ned 2]
couchwardCare for your couchward path.couchward [ned 3]
dayDay-drowsiness and night's arousing power."23. General combinations; c. With agent-nouns and words expressing action, '(that acts or is done) by day, during the day, as distinguished from night'" day-drowsiness [ned 4]
dike/dyke (noun)Dyke-cloistered Taddington, of cold intense."10. attrib. and Comb." dike-cloistered [ned 5]
dike/dyke (noun)The dikeside watch when Midnight-feeders stray."10. attrib. and Comb." dikeside [ned 6]
droop (adjective)In the droop ash shade.droop [ned 7]
dump (adjective) [n 2] An heiress doughy-like and dump."2. Of the consistence of dough or dumpling; without elasticity or spring" [ned 8]
epistle (verb)Tis noted down—Epistled to the Duke"2. b. To write (something) in a letter." [ned 9]
extemporizeMatter to sustain The staggering extemporizer's painextemporizer [ned 10]
fancyThe *fancy-grazing herds of freedom's pen."B. attrib and Comb; 1. General relations; (c) Instrumental, originative and adverbial" fancy-grazing [ned 11]
flambeauFlambeaued folly of the long procession.flambeaued [ned 12]
flesh (noun)Air coloured, scarcely carnate, or a flesh."5.b. ellipt. for flesh-colour" [ned 13]
foodlessGalls them no more their foodlessness or fag.foodlessness [ned 14]
fringyFluttering as the mantle's fringy rim."2. furnished or adorned with a fringe or fringes; covered with fringes." [ned 15]
full (adjective)Where *full-dug foragers at evening meet In Cow-bell concert."12. Comb. a. with nouns forming combinations used attrib." full-dug [ned 16]
gigantomachyOne is the sculptor, of the statue nice, Or Gigantomachies of rock and ice."2. A representation of [ the war of the giants against the gods]" [ned 17]
goal (noun)With a giddy foot and *goal-ward rush."6. attrib. and Comb." goalward [ned 18]
hearthwardHag of the hearthward cringe and tripod stool.hearthward [ned 19]
idolA heathen lamp supplies With meagre beam his *Idol-anchored eyes."10. Comb.; e. instrumental and locative" idol-anchored [ned 20]
inscriptionlessA margin stone I crave Inscriptionless, or chiselled by the wave.inscriptionless [ned 21]
lump (verb3)I the mattress spread, And equal lay whatever lumps the bed."1. b. To form or raise into lumps." [ned 22]
peacelessCoins that were tinkled, ever shook In pouch of peacelessness.peacelessness [ned 23]
rape (verb2)With art's refinement he would ... rape the soul."4. To transport, ravish, delight" [ned 24]
re- (prefix)O too *re-brutalized! O too bereaved!"5. b. prefixed to verbs and sbs. which denote 'making (of a certain kind or quality)', 'turning or converting into —', esp. those formed on adjs. by means of the suffix -ize" re-brutalize [ned 25]
revirginizeWhere that cosmetic .. Shall e'er revirginize that brow's abuserevirginize [8] [n 3]
relieflessAlone reliefless in thy cold distressreliefless [ned 27]
rheumatizeRaw November's rheumatizing grass."2. To make rheumatic, affect with rheumatism." [ned 28]
sanctuariedIf a thought Should cream the blood in sanctuaried court.sanctuaried [ned 29]
sap (noun5)He crowned his head but with another cap Than Cardinal's—for that he wants no Sap."A simpleton, a fool." [ned 30]
sarcophageYon vermined Sarcophage."2. A flesh-eater" [ned 31]
scarf (noun1)Scarf-like and ethereally slight."7. attrib. and Comb." scarf-like [ned 32]
scavage (verb)The brain will scavage and the breast unstuff.scavage [ned 33]
shoeHe looked submission with a shoeward eye."6. attrib. and Comb.; c. Special comb." shoeward [ned 34]
slipperyThou silvery-backed, and slippery-bellied Eel."9. Comb." slippery-bellied [ned 35]
sunSunfaced choristers."12. Comb.; c. Similative and parasynthetic" sunfaced [ned 36]
sunAnd Sun-side Alps all tortuously slip."13. Special Combs.: sun-side (now rare) the side facing the sun, the sunny side (also attrib.)" [ned 37]
templed (ppl adjective)We .. Rambled such river sides and templed lands."3. Furnished or adorned with a temple or temples." [ned 38]
transplanterSo thence uprooted with transplanter care, In other soil it scents another air.transplanter [ned 39]
tribe (verb)Her nature may with thine be tribed.tribe [ned 40]
tribunalTribunalled judge, he weds the weaker cause, Holds sternly up as he lays down the laws.tribunalled (adjective) [ned 41]
trouseThe belted blouse Of velvet black, and closely-fitting trouse.trouse [ned 42]
trunked (adjective)The trunked forest's deep Where graces dance.trunked "I 1. Having a trunk, as a tree" [ned 43]
un- (prefix)A thing *unmental, mannerless and crude.un- "7. freely prefixed to adjectives of all kinds" unmental [ned 44]
un- (prefix)Hope, *uncelestialized by heathen hand.un- "8. prefixing to past participles; a. Simple past pples. in -ed; (c) forms in -ized" uncelestialized [ned 45]
un- (prefix)Worn As weary nakedness, *unshooned, unshorn.un- "9. Adjectival forms in -ed, from substantives" unshooned [ned 46]
unbusy (adjective)If bigotted, or most unbusy herd, O'er stocked with time and talent, were preferred.unbusy [ned 47]
unstuffThe brain [it] will scavage and the breast unstuff.unstuff [ned 48]
vermined (adjective)Yon vermined Sarcophage.vermined [ned 49]
vulgar (adjective)She was not *vulgar-viewed, her thinkings took The self-same tenor."14. Comb." vulgar-viewed [ned 50]
warmthlessVain and virtueless and warmthless grown.warmthless [ned 51]
wen (noun1)The wen-necked women."1. c. Applied to the swelling on the throat characteristic of goitre. Also Comb." wen-necked [ned 52]
whinge (noun)With cur-like whinge to such soft cutting whip.whinge [ned 53]
widthThe *widthless road.widthless [ned 54]

OED revision

The second (1989) edition of the OED retained almost all the information of the first edition essentially unrevised. The third edition (publication ongoing since 2000) is fully revisiting all entries. A staff member revising the entry for revirginize in 2013 sought to verify the word's earliest citation, from Meanderings of Memory: "Where that cosmetic ... Shall e'er revirginize that brow's abuse". [1] When the staffer failed to locate the work, OED chief bibliographer Veronica Hurst launched a deeper search. [3] No copy could be located; Hurst found no mention in Google Books, the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography or other works consulted; [1] and confirmation of the book's existence initially rested entirely upon a short listing in an 1854 catalogue of G. Gancia, a bookseller in Brighton: [2]

MEANDERINGS of Memory, by Nightlark, 8vo, boards London, 1852 6s Written and published by a well-known connoisseur with the epigraph "Cur potius lacrimæ tibi mi Philomela placebant?"

Investigating the Latin epigraph was another dead end. It translates to "why did my tears please you more, my Philomel?" and does not appear to be a quotation from another work. [1]

Public appeal

On 3 May 2013, OED editors posted about the book on the "OED Appeals" section of the website, which continues the volunteer-reader tradition by asking the public for help with the history of particular words or other lexicographic issues. [9] The original post was: [2]

A number of quotations in the OED derive from a book with the title Meanderings of Memory. However, we have been unable to trace this title in library catalogues or text databases. All these quotations have a date of 1852, and some cite the author as 'Nightlark'.

The only evidence for this book's existence that we have yet been able to find is a single entry in a bookseller's catalogue:

Listing for Meandering of Memory, by Nightlark-2.png

Have you ever seen a copy of this book? Can you identify the 'well-known connoisseur' mentioned by the bookseller?

The appeal was reported in the general media. [1] [3] [10] [11]

Seven Gancia catalogues are bound in a volume once owned by an A. F. Rodger, now in the Oxford University library and on Google Books. Three of these list Meanderings of Memory, with variations in detail and price: the Third Catalogue for 1852 on page 20; [12] the First Catalogue for 1854 on page 10; [13] and the Second Catalogue for 1854 (referred to by the OED) on page 27. [14] The John Rylands Library, which contains many of Edward Peacock's private papers, found no copy of Meanderings of Memory. [2] In 1893, a reader [n 4] asked The Bazaar, Exchange and Mart to value the book; it replied, "We know nothing about this book, never having seen it before. The probability is that it is of little value." [15]

Hurst suggested the book might contain content considered pornographic by Victorians, potentially resulting in nonstandard cataloguing. [10] It might have been self- or privately published with a very small print run. [3] Following the appeal to the public, another reference to Meanderings of Memory was found in an 1854 Sotheby's catalogue, which rendered less likely the notion that the work might be a hoax by a nineteenth-century miscreant. [1] Identification of Peacock as the reader corroborated this. [2] Given the "flowery" character of the work's quotations appearing in the OED, and in light of the Sotheby's auction record, Hurst postulates that Meanderings of Memory may turn out to be a short book of poetry. [11]

In Christopher Linforth's 2014 short story "Here is the Light", among the miscellanea collected by protagonist Pym Dark are "flowery poetry chapbooks (including the sordid volume, the Meanderings of Memory)". [16]

Notes

  1. ↑ To NED (OED 1st edition) unless stated
  2. ↑ Not specified in OED (1st ed.)
  3. ↑ Not in OED (1st ed.) under "revirginize" [ned 26] or "re- (prefix) 5. b." [ned 25] The word was added to the 3rd edition in 2010. [7]
  4. ↑ The reader, "Gandy", also asked values for other books: The Substance of Some Letters Written from Paris During the Last Reign of the Emperor Napoleon (1816 edition, by John Hobhouse, 1st Baron Broughton); A Circumstantial Narrative of the Campaign in Russia (1829, by Eugène Labaume  [ fr ]); and The Commercial Room (1847, by Edward Gandy). [15]

Related Research Articles

<i>Oxford English Dictionary</i> Historical dictionary of the English language began in 1857

The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) is the principal historical dictionary of the English language, published by Oxford University Press (OUP). It traces the historical development of the English language, providing a comprehensive resource to scholars and academic researchers, as well as describing usage in its many variations throughout the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman numerals</span> Numbers in the Roman numeral system

Roman numerals are a numeral system that originated in ancient Rome and remained the usual way of writing numbers throughout Europe well into the Late Middle Ages. Numbers are written with combinations of letters from the Latin alphabet, each letter with a fixed integer value. Modern style uses only these seven:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antiquarian</span> Specialist or aficionado of antiquities or things of the past

An antiquarian or antiquary is an aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient artifacts, archaeological and historic sites, or historic archives and manuscripts. The essence of antiquarianism is a focus on the empirical evidence of the past, and is perhaps best encapsulated in the motto adopted by the 18th-century antiquary Sir Richard Colt Hoare, "We speak from facts, not theory."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eudokia Makrembolitissa</span> Byzantine Empress from 1059 to 1071

Eudokia Makrembolitissa was a Byzantine empress by her successive marriages to Constantine X Doukas and Romanos IV Diogenes. She acted as regent of her minor son, Michael VII in 1067, and resigned her regency by marriage to Romanos IV Diogenes. When he was deposed in 1071 she resumed the regency for her sons, but was soon forced to resign again.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Bowdler Sharpe</span> British ornithologist (1847–1909)

Richard Bowdler Sharpe was an English zoologist and ornithologist who worked as curator of the bird collection at the British Museum of natural history. In the course of his career he published several monographs on bird groups and produced a multi-volume catalogue of the specimens in the collection of the museum. He described many new species of bird and also has had species named in his honour by other ornithologists including Sharpe's longclaw and Sharpe's starling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Francis Stephens</span> English entomologist and naturalist (1792-1852)

James Francis Stephens was an English entomologist and naturalist. He is known for his 12 volume Illustrations of British Entomology (1846) and the Manual of British Beetles (1839).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samuel Prideaux Tregelles</span> English biblical scholar

Samuel Prideaux Tregelles was an English biblical scholar, lexicographer, Christian Hebraist, textual critic, and theologian.

George Robert Gleig was a Scottish soldier, military writer, and priest.

Edward Hall was an English lawyer and historian, best known for his The Union of the Two Noble and Illustre Families of Lancastre and Yorke—commonly known as Hall's Chronicle—first published in 1548. He was also several times a member of the Parliament of England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Francis Walker (entomologist)</span> English entomologist (1809-1874)

Francis Walker was an English entomologist. He was born in Southgate, London, on 31 July 1809 and died at Wanstead, England on 5 October 1874. He was one of the most prolific authors in entomology, and stirred controversy during his later life as his publications resulted in a huge number of junior synonyms. However, his assiduous work on the collections of the British Museum had great significance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Edward Mudie</span> English publisher

Charles Edward Mudie , English publisher and founder of Mudie's Lending Library and Mudie's Subscription Library, was the son of a second-hand bookseller and newsagent. Mudie's efficient distribution system and vast supply of texts revolutionized the circulating library movement, while his "select" library influenced Victorian middle-class values and the structure of the three-volume novel. He was also the first publisher of James Russell Lowell's poems in England, and of Emerson's Man Thinking.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jacques Charles Brunet</span> French bibliographer (1780–1867)

Jacques Charles Brunet was a French bibliographer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sampson Low</span> British bookseller and publisher (1797–1886)

Sampson Low was a bookseller and publisher in London in the 19th century.

Edward Peacock was an English antiquarian and novelist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Harrison Ainsworth bibliography</span>

This is a list of works by the English historical novelist William Harrison Ainsworth (1805–1882).

<i>A Plain Introduction to the Criticism of the New Testament</i> Book by Frederick Henry Ambrose Scrivener

A Plain Introduction to the Criticism of the New Testament: For the Use of Biblical Students is one of the books of Frederick Henry Ambrose Scrivener (1813–1891), biblical scholar and textual critic. In this book Scrivener listed over 3,000 Greek manuscripts of the New Testament, as well as manuscripts of early versions. It was used by Gregory for further work.

Alexander Donaldson was a Scottish bookseller, publisher, and printer. Donaldson was the founding publisher of the weekly newspaper, the Edinburgh Advertiser. He was also known for selling cheap copies of books after their copyright had expired in disregard to London booksellers' opinions on literary property.

James Talboys Wheeler was a bureaucrat-historian of the British Raj.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Cole (antiquary)</span>

John Cole (1792–1848) was an English bookseller, publisher and antiquary, of Northampton, Lincoln and Scarborough, North Yorkshire. He was born on 3 Oct. 1792 at Weston Favell in Northamptonshire. He is remarkable as having compiled over 100 publications but whether as bookseller, lecturer, 'general factor,' or school-master, Cole was invariably unsuccessful. As self-trained and industrious antiquary, he appears to have been utterly unsuited for the cares of a business life and he was constantly on the move and died in poverty. Cole generally printed only few copies of his books which make them rare. As his books contain much out-of-the-way information, they are sought after by collectors. He was in the habit of binding up extra plates and additional manuscript matter in his private copies. A silhouette portrait of Cole and facsimile of his handwriting are given in the Yorkshire Library

References

OED (1st edition)

  1. ↑ Vol.II p.276 c.2
  2. ↑ Vol.II p.568 c.1
  3. ↑ Vol.II p.1049 c.2
  4. ↑ Vol.III D p.51 c.1
  5. ↑ Vol.III D p.359 c.1
  6. ↑ Vol.III D p.359 c.1
  7. ↑ Vol.III D p.678 c.2
  8. ↑ Vol.III D p.714 c.1
  9. ↑ Vol.III E p.246 c.2
  10. ↑ Vol.III E p.455 c.3
  11. ↑ Vol.IV F p.61 c.2
  12. ↑ Vol.IV F p.280 c.2
  13. ↑ Vol.IV F p.315 c.1
  14. ↑ Vol.IV F p.397 c.3
  15. ↑ Vol.IV F p.552 c.2
  16. ↑ Vol.IV F p.590 c.2
  17. ↑ Vol.IV G p.159 c.2
  18. ↑ Vol.IV G p.262 c.3
  19. ↑ Vol.V Pt.1 p.165 c.2
  20. ↑ Vol.V Pt.2 p.25 c.3 |
  21. ↑ Vol.V Pt.2 p.329 c.1 |
  22. ↑ Vol.VI Pt.1 p.499 c.3
  23. ↑ Vol.VII p.584 c.1
  24. ↑ Vol.VIII Pt.1 p.150 c.1
  25. 1 2 Vol.VIII Pt.1 p.188 c.1
  26. ↑ Vol.VIII Pt.1 p.610 cc.2–3 (Revirescent–Revis)
  27. ↑ Vol.VIII Pt.1 p.408 c.1
  28. ↑ Vol.VIII Pt.1 p.628 c.3
  29. ↑ Vol.VIII Pt.2 p.83 c.3
  30. ↑ Vol.VIII Pt.2 p.100 c.3
  31. ↑ Vol.VIII Pt.2 p.109 c.2
  32. ↑ Vol.VIII Pt.2 p.187 c.3
  33. ↑ Vol.VIII Pt.2 p.196 c.1
  34. ↑ Vol.VIII Pt.2 p.724 c.3
  35. ↑ Vol.IX Pt.1 p.223 c.3
  36. ↑ Vol.IX Pt.2 Su–Sz p.153 c.2 |
  37. ↑ Vol.IX Pt.2 Su–Sz p.153 c.2 |
  38. ↑ Vol.IX Pt.2 T–Th p.167 c.2
  39. ↑ Vol.X Pt.1 Ti-Tz p.275 c.3
  40. ↑ Vol.X Pt.1 Ti-Tz p.339 c.3
  41. ↑ Vol.X Pt.1 Ti-Tz p.341 c.1
  42. ↑ Vol.X Pt.1 Ti-Tz p.408 c.2
  43. ↑ Vol.X Pt.1 Ti-Tz p.428 c.3
  44. ↑ Vol.X Pt.1 U p.31 c.1
  45. ↑ Vol.X Pt.1 U p.32 c.2
  46. ↑ Vol.X Pt.1 U p.32 c.3
  47. ↑ Vol.X Pt.1 U p.73 c.2
  48. ↑ Vol.X Pt.1 U p.357 c.2
  49. ↑ Vol.X Pt.2 V p.136 c.2
  50. ↑ Vol.X Pt.2 V p.327 c.3
  51. ↑ Vol.X Pt.2 W–Wezzon p.105 c.3
  52. ↑ Vol.X Pt.2 W–Wezzon p.314 c.1
  53. ↑ Vol.X Pt.2 Wh–Wyzen p.51 c.3
  54. ↑ Vol.X Pt.2 Wh–Wyzen p.114 c.3

Other

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Flood, Alison (10 May 2013). "Oxford English Dictionary asks public to help track down mystery book". The Guardian.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Meanderings of Memory, unknown source". OED Appeals. OED. 4 June 2013 [First posted 3 May 2013]. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Weiss, Sasha (4 May 2013). "Have You Seen This Book? An O.E.D. Mystery". The New Yorker . New York: Condé Nast. OCLC   1760231.
  4. 1 2 3 Winchester, Simon (2003). The Meaning of Everything: The Story of the Oxford English Dictionary . Oxford University Press. ISBN   0-19-860702-4.
  5. ↑ Winchester, Simon (1998). The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary. Harper Collins. p. 25. ISBN   0-06-017596-6.
  6. ↑ "The Oxford English Dictionary" (online [login required]). Oxford University Press. 2013. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
  7. 1 2 "New words list March 2010". Oxford English Dictionary. March 2010. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  8. 1 2 "revirginize (v.)" . Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press.(Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
  9. ↑ "About the OED Appeals". Oxford English Dictionary . Retrieved 12 June 2013.
  10. 1 2 "Word nerds issue call for etymological help". The Rachel Maddow Show . Episode 646. New York City. 17 May 2013. 54 minutes in. NBC News. Transcript. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
  11. 1 2 Tobar, Hector (15 May 2013). "Oxford English Dictionary's hunt for the origins of 'revirginize'". Los Angeles Times .
  12. ↑ "G. Gancia's Third Catalogue for 1852 of Rare Books, and manuscripts of extraordinary Beauty, Early-printed Books upon Vellum, Romances, Faceties, Poetry, Travels, &c., on sale at 73, King's Road, Brighton." p.20 (in 7 bookseller's catalogues)
  13. ↑ "G. Gancia's First Catalogue for 1854 of Rare Books, and Manuscripts of extraordinary beauty, Early-Printed Books, Romances, Poetry, Aldines, Elzeviers, Chronicles, Books of Prints, Travels, &c., on sale at 73, King's Road, Brighton." p.10 (in 7 bookseller's catalogues)
  14. ↑ "G. Gancia's Second Catalogue for 1854 of Rare Books and Manuscripts of extraordinary beauty, Early-Printed Books, Romances, Poetry, Aldines, Elzeviers, Chronicles, Books of Prints, Travels, &c., on sale at 73, King's Road, Brighton." p.27 (in 7 bookseller's catalogues)
  15. 1 2 "To Correspondents; Literature". The Bazaar, Exchange and Mart, and Journal of the Household. 48. London: 469. 13 March 1893.
  16. ↑ Linforth, Christopher (August 2014). "Here is the Light". When You Find Us We Will Be Gone. Beaumont, Texas: Lamar University Press. p. 147. ISBN   978-0-9911074-9-0.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.