Anne Lister's Dictionary

Miss Lister's peculiar vocabulary

Anne Lister's lexicon is a fascinating amalgamation shaped by the era in which she lived, as well as her extensive literary pursuits and  unwavering commitment to self-improvement. Readers of her journals frequently encounter an words that have either fallen out of common usage, possess an air of obscurity, or have been uniquely adapted by Anne for her own convenience.. 

More often than not, these intriguing terms are employed without clear contextual cues, leaving new readers puzzled or bemused by her turns of phrase. Compounding the challenge, Anne sometimes seamlessly sometimes transitions between languages mid-sentence, further adding to the intricacy of her linguistic expression.

Whether hastily penned in her travel journals or agonizingly chosen for an impassioned love letter, Anne Lister exhibited a deliberate approach to word selection.  She prioritized the precise conveyance of her intended meanings, and in certain instances, employed intriguing usages or even forged new linguistic creations, which might elicit consternation from purists. However, more often than not, her utilization of such language finds apt and valid application. 

Embark on an exploration of Anne Lister's linguistic prowess and witness how she adeptly molds language to serve her purposes.

How to contribute to this project

You can contribute by adding new terms that come up as you transcribe and read the journals and letters, or you can help expand on the definitions and information explaining the terms already identified.

Getting access

If you are already contributing to other projects, simply open the spreadsheet and start editing. You already have editorial access. 

If this is your first time contributing:

1. Request access. Please include an email address that is associated with a Google account (this is the only requirement to participating in this project). If you don't have one, here's how to do it.

2. You will receive an email confirming you have been given access.

3. Once granted access, you can open the spreadsheet and start adding a new entries to the dictionary. 

Data entry conventions

• Data in this spreadsheet is entered in the language Anne Lister uses it in her writing, and explained in English. We do not enforce any particular English spelling.

• Please preserve the original spellings of words  as written by Anne Lister. Given she often makes mistakes, include also the correct version for findability.

• The spreadsheet is organized alphabetically with labeled sections. When adding a new entry, identify where it should go in the correct alphabetical order and insert a new row in that position. (Select the row immediately below, right click and add row above).