Before the Word Was Queer: Sexuality and the English Dictionary, 1600–1930

Author:   Stephen Turton (University of Oxford)
Publisher:   Cambridge University Press
ISBN:  

9781316518731


Pages:   350
Publication Date:   21 March 2024
Format:   Hardback
Availability:   Manufactured on demand   Availability explained
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Before the Word Was Queer: Sexuality and the English Dictionary, 1600–1930


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Author:   Stephen Turton (University of Oxford)
Publisher:   Cambridge University Press
Imprint:   Cambridge University Press
Dimensions:   Width: 15.80cm , Height: 2.40cm , Length: 23.50cm
Weight:   0.660kg
ISBN:  

9781316518731


ISBN 10:   1316518736
Pages:   350
Publication Date:   21 March 2024
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Manufactured on demand   Availability explained
We will order this item for you from a manufactured on demand supplier.

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Reviews

'Written with grace and clarity, this book makes an irrefutable case for historical lexicography and the light it sheds on past understanding of same-sex desire. In particular, it sets out new research on love and sex between women. It combines mastery of lexicographical detail with lucid exploration of the intellectual frameworks shaping historical attitudes to sex.' Charlotte Brewer, Hertford College, University of Oxford 'Turton's well-crafted, highly readable monograph uses a scavenger methodology to expose privileged voices repeatedly erasing references to marginalized sexuality in English dictionaries, 1600–1930. A convincing introduction to the method and theory of queer historical linguistics.' William L. Leap, Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies Program. Florida Atlantic University, USA 'This book brilliantly demonstrates what queer theory can do for lexicography – and vice versa. An essential read for lovers and scholars of language, dictionaries, and the long arc of LGBTQ+ history.' Jeffrey Masten, author of Queer Philologies 'Stephen Turton's lively book is a wonderfully rich mine of forgotten sexual slang, … its great strength lies in a generative interweaving of the histories of words and sex, its recognition that dictionary-makers and users are actors in the construction of social and sexual identities. As dictionaries get better at capturing discursively how we talk about ourselves today, they remain a standout resource in our exploration of the way our queer forebears understood themselves in the past.' Will Tosh, The Times Literary Supplement


'Written with grace and clarity, this book makes an irrefutable case for historical lexicography and the light it sheds on past understanding of same-sex desire. In particular, it sets out new research on love and sex between women. It combines mastery of lexicographical detail with lucid exploration of the intellectual frameworks shaping historical attitudes to sex.' Charlotte Brewer, Hertford College, University of Oxford 'Turton's well-crafted, highly readable monograph uses a scavenger methodology to expose privileged voices repeatedly erasing references to marginalized sexuality in English dictionaries, 1600–1930. A convincing introduction to the method and theory of queer historical linguistics.' William L. Leap, Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies Program. Florida Atlantic University, USA 'This book brilliantly demonstrates what queer theory can do for lexicography – and vice versa. An essential read for lovers and scholars of language, dictionaries, and the long arc of LGBTQ+ history.' Jeffrey Masten, author of Queer Philologies


Author Information

Stephen Turton is a Research Fellow in English at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge. He writes and teaches on the history of English, lexicography, literature, and gender and sexuality. He is the co-editor of an ongoing project to digitize the letters of James A. H. Murray, the first chief editor of the Oxford English Dictionary (www.MurrayScriptorium.org).

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