Dictionaries - Word History and Usage
- Oxford English Dictionary This link opens in a new window A complete version of the second edition of the Oxford English Dictionary (1989) with onlines updates added four times a year since 2000.
- Oxford Reference This link opens in a new window Published by Oxford University Press, it is a fully-indexed, cross-searchable database containing dictionaries, language reference and subject reference works.
- Brill's New Pauly This link opens in a new window Brill’s New Pauly provides access to Brill’s New Pauly, an encyclopedia of the ancient world translated into English; Der Neue Pauly, the original German version; and Supplements I, Volumes 1-6 (in English) on chronologies; author/text dictionary; atlas; reception of myth, mythology, and classical literature; and scholarship.
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A Dictionary of Literary Symbols by
This is the first dictionary of symbols to be based on literature, rather than 'universal' psychological archetypes or myths. It explains and illustrates the literary symbols that we all frequently encounter (such as swan, rose, moon, gold), and gives hundreds of cross-references and quotations. The dictionary concentrates on English literature, but its entries range widely from the Bible and classical authors to the twentieth century, taking in American and European literatures. For this new edition, Michael Ferber has included over twenty completely new entries (including bear, holly, sunflower and tower), and has added to many of the existing entries. Enlarged and enriched from the first edition, its informed style and rich references make this book an essential tool not only for literary and classical scholars, but for all students of literature.
Location: OnlinePublication Date: 2007
A Dictionary of the Bible by
A Dictionary of the Bible is the most authoritative, accessible, and up-to-date dictionary of its kind available. Containing over 2,000 entries it provides clear and concise information about the important places, people, themes, and doctrines of the Bible. Terms range from earthquakes andmice to martyrs and art, and new to this edition are entries on Zionism, Old Testament and New Testament theology, hannukah, Luther, Calvin, Jesus in the Koran, and many more. This dictionary features a detailed bibliography, biographies of Bible scholars, a conversion table of measures, weights, and values, a chronology of important dates in Biblical history, and historical maps (showing Israel in Canaan; the near east in the time of the Assyrian Empire; Palestine underthe Herods; the background of the New Testament; Rome and the East). In addition, entries on the books of the Bible have been grouped in alphabetical order and conveniently located in a tinted centre section for quick reference. Recommended web links in the appendix provide valuable extrainformation, these links are accessed and kept up to date via the Dictionary of the Bible companion website.With lively and informative A-Z entries and an array of useful supplementary material, this dictionary is essential for students and teachers of theology and religious education, and it is an absorbing reference work for all readers of the Bible.
Location: OnlinePublication Date: 2011
Adonis to Zorro : Oxford dictionary of reference and allusion by
Allusions form a colourful extension to the English language, drawing on our collective knowledge of literature, mythology, and the Bible to give us a literary shorthand for describing people, places, and events. So a cunning crook is an Artful Dodger, a daydreamer is like Billy Liar, apowerful woman is a modern-day Amazon - we can suffer like Sisyphus, fail like Canute, or linger like the smile of the Cheshire Cat. This absorbing and accessible A-Z explains the meanings of allusions in modern English, from Adonis to Zorro, Tartarus to Tarzan, and Rubens to Rambo. Fascinating to browse through, the book is based on an extensive reading programme that has identified the most commonly-used allusions. For thethird edition all entries have been reviewed, revised, and thoroughly updated to ensure the consistency of coverage of allusions and references. New to this edition is the inclusion within each entry of a short summary definition for the allusion or reference, ideal for quick reference, and at leastone illustrative citation from a wide range of source materials in almost every entry: from Aldous Huxley to Philip Roth, Emily Bronte to The Guardian Unlimited.. A useful thematic index allows searching for allusions related to a specific topic, e.g. at Intelligence find Aristotle, Einstein, andSpock, and at Hair find Medusa, Samson, and Shirley Temple.Oxford Dictionary of Reference and Allusion is both a useful and user-friendly reference work for students of English Literature and Language, as well as for non-native English speakers for aid with unusual references, and an absorbing volume for all lovers of literature and culture ingeneral.
Location: OnlinePublication Date: 2010
The Routledge Handbook of Greek Mythology by
This new edition is a completely rewritten and revised version of Rose's original, seminal, text. Adding a huge amount of new material, Robin Hard incorporates the results of the latest research into his authoritative accounts of all the gods and heroes. The narrative framework of the book includes helpful signposting so that the book can be used as work of reference, and alongside the narrative chapters, it includes full documentation of the ancient sources, maps, and genealogical tables. Illustrated throughout with numerous photographs and line drawings, it will remain the definitive account of ancient Greek mythology for generations to come.
Location: OnlinePublication Date: 2003
Librarian
Barbara Maratos
Contact:
Boston University Libraries
bkmarato@bu.edu
bkmarato@bu.edu
Subjects: Language & Linguistics, Literature