Austen Chat

Jane Austen & the Oxford English Dictionary: A Visit with Charlotte Brewer


Listen Later

Bath bun. Bobbinet. Poor basket. Vanity-bait. These are just a few of the words the Oxford English Dictionary credits Jane Austen with using for the first time in print—and almost all are words related to domestic and everyday life. In this episode, we sit down with scholar Charlotte Brewer to explore the Dictionary’s 19th-century origins, its reliance on volunteer readers, its ongoing digital evolution, and the literary biases that shaped whose words were recorded. A must-listen for word nerds! 

Charlotte Brewer is Emerita Fellow in English at Hertford College, Oxford. She began her career as a medievalist, subsequently turning to the history of the English language and in particular its record in the Oxford English Dictionary. Her publications include studies of Jane Austen and Shakespeare in the OED, and she is currently working on the Murray Scriptorium, a co-edited edition of the letters of James Murray, the first chief editor of the OED.

For a transcript and show notes, visit https://jasna.org/austen/podcast/ep28/.

*********

Visit our website: www.jasna.org
Follow us on Instagram and Facebook
Subscribe to the podcast on our YouTube channel
Email: [email protected]

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Austen ChatBy Jane Austen Society of North America

  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9

4.9

160 ratings


More shows like Austen Chat

View all
The Moth by The Moth

The Moth

27,240 Listeners

Folger Shakespeare Library: Shakespeare Unlimited by Folger Shakespeare Library

Folger Shakespeare Library: Shakespeare Unlimited

813 Listeners

The English Heritage Podcast by English Heritage

The English Heritage Podcast

227 Listeners

Talking Tudors by Natalie Grueninger

Talking Tudors

725 Listeners

Shedunnit by Caroline Crampton

Shedunnit

700 Listeners

Historic Royal Palaces Podcast by Historic Royal Palaces

Historic Royal Palaces Podcast

452 Listeners

Reading Jane Austen by Harriet and Ellen

Reading Jane Austen

62 Listeners

Reclaiming Jane by Emily Davis-Hale & Lauren Wethers

Reclaiming Jane

57 Listeners

What the Austen? Podcast by Izzy Meakin

What the Austen? Podcast

44 Listeners

Jane Austen Bedtime Stories by Jane Austen Bedtime Pod

Jane Austen Bedtime Stories

190 Listeners

The Thing About Austen by The Thing About Austen

The Thing About Austen

498 Listeners

The Gilded Gentleman by Carl Raymond

The Gilded Gentleman

802 Listeners

The Country House Podcast by Hancock Productions

The Country House Podcast

128 Listeners

The Jane Austen Podcast by Bekky C

The Jane Austen Podcast

50 Listeners

A Jane Austen Year by Jane Austen's House

A Jane Austen Year

134 Listeners