''Notes and Queries'', also styled ''Notes & Queries'', is a long-running quarterly

scholarly journal An academic journal or scholarly journal is a periodical publication in which scholarship relating to a particular academic discipline is published. Academic journals serve as permanent and transparent forums for the presentation, scrutiny, and d ...

that publishes short articles related to "

English language and literature English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national id ...

, lexicography, history, and scholarly

antiquarian An antiquarian or antiquary () is an fan (person), 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 artifact (archaeology), artifac ...

ism".From the inner sleeve of all modern issues of ''Notes and Queries''. Its emphasis is on "the factual rather than the speculative". The journal has a long history, having been established in 1849 in London;''Notes and Queries'', Series 1, Volume 1, Nov 1849 - May 1850
via Internet Archive it is now published by Oxford University Press. The journal was originally subtitled "a medium of inter-communication for literary men, artists, antiquaries, genealogists, etc". It is now subtitled "For readers and writers, collectors and librarians". Its motto was once "When found, make a note of", the catchphrase of Capt. Cuttle, a character in Dickens's novel '' Dombey and Son''. It is the 250th-most-quoted source in the '' Oxford English Dictionary'' (3rd ed.), giving 1,633 quotations, many being first evidence of a word or a particular meaning.

Format

''Notes and Queries'' was first published in 1849 as a weekly periodical edited by

W. J. Thoms W. may refer to: * SoHo (Australian TV channel) (previously W.), an Australian pay television channel * ''W.'' (film), a 2008 American biographical drama film based on the life of George W. Bush * "W.", the fifth track from Codeine's 1992 EP '' B ...

. It was founded as an academic correspondence

magazine A magazine is a periodical publication, generally published on a regular schedule (often weekly or monthly), containing a variety of content. They are generally financed by advertising, purchase price, prepaid subscriptions, or by a combinatio ...

, in which scholars and interested amateurs could exchange knowledge on folklore, literature and history. The format consisted of "Notes" (miscellaneous findings of correspondents that they and the editors considered of interest to the readership), and "Queries" (and responses to queries), which formed the bulk of the publication. The magazine has been likened to a 19th-century version of a moderated Internet newsgroup. Many of the entries in the journal for its first seventy years were only a few paragraphs long, and occasionally as short as a sentence or two. Very frequent contributors include the Rev.

Walter W. Skeat Walter William Skeat, (21 November 18356 October 1912) was a British philologist and Anglican deacon. The pre-eminent British philologist of his time, he was instrumental in developing the English language as a higher education subject in th ...

, one of the most important figures in the field of English etymology, and Eliza Gutch, a founding member of The Folklore Society. The foundation of such a society was suggested by Gutch through a query to the publication. Gutch contributed to the publication for over seventy years, using the pseudonym "St Swithin".Jacqueline Simpson (Editor), Steve Roud (Editor) (2003). ''A Dictionary of English Folklore''. Oxford University Press Today the magazine is produced as an academic journal. The articles are typically much longer than they were during the journal's early years, though they are still shorter than those of the typical academic journal. In addition, the "Notes" now far outweigh the "Queries", and book reviews have also been introduced. The focus is now almost entirely on literature.

19th- and 20th-century editors

Namesakes

Over 20 county or regional publications across England, mostly launched in the late 19th century, adopted a similar "notes and queries" format; 16 of which, beginning with ''Gloucestershire Notes and Queries'' in 1879, included the term within their titles. ''Notes and Queries for Somerset and Dorset'' (launched in 1888) and ''Devon and Cornwall Notes and Queries'' (launched 1900) both survive in regular publication. There have been several incarnations of ''

American Notes and Queries ''ANQ: A Quarterly Journal of Short Articles, Notes and Reviews'' is a quarterly academic journal, affiliated to the University of Kentucky, which features short research-based articles about the literature of the English-speaking world and the lan ...

''. There are also ''

Canadian Notes & Queries ''Canadian Notes & Queries'' is a literary magazine published in Canada on a triannual basis. History and profile The magazine was first published in 1968 by William Morley as a four-page supplement to the ''Abacus'', the newsletter of the Antiqua ...

'' and ''Kōtare: New Zealand Notes and Queries''. ''Notes and Queries'' has also given its name to a number of columns and sections within wider-ranging publications. These include a regular " Notes & Queries" feature in '' The Guardian'' newspaper, started in November 1989.

Anthologies

The following

anthologies In book publishing Publishing is the activity of making information, literature, music, software and other content available to the public for sale or for free. Traditionally, the term refers to the creation and distribution of printed work ...

of selections from ''Notes and Queries'' have appeared.

References

External links