Herbert "Herbie" Coleridge (7 October 1830 – 23 April 1861) was an

English 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 ...

philologist Philology () is the study of language in oral and written historical sources; it is the intersection of textual criticism, literary criticism, history, and linguistics (with especially strong ties to etymology). Philology is also defined ...

, technically the first editor of what ultimately became the ''

Oxford English Dictionary The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' (''OED'') is the first and foundational historical dictionary of the English language, published by Oxford University Press (OUP). It traces the historical development of the English language, providing a c ...

''. He was a grandson of the poet

Samuel Taylor Coleridge Samuel Taylor Coleridge (; 21 October 177225 July 1834) was an English poet, literary critic, philosopher, and theologian who, with his friend William Wordsworth, was a founder of the Romantic Movement in England and a member of the Lak ...

Biography

He was the son of

Sara Sara may refer to: Arts, media and entertainment Film and television * ''Sara'' (1992 film), 1992 Iranian film by Dariush Merhjui * ''Sara'' (1997 film), 1997 Polish film starring Bogusław Linda * ''Sara'' (2010 film), 2010 Sri Lankan Sinhal ...

and

Henry Nelson Coleridge Henry Nelson Coleridge (25 October 1798 – 26 January 1843) was an editor of the works of his uncle Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Life His father was Colonel James Coleridge, of Ottery St. Mary. He was born on 25 October 1798. He was educated at ...

. He earned a double first in Classics and

Mathematics Mathematics is an area of knowledge that includes the topics of numbers, formulas and related structures, shapes and the spaces in which they are contained, and quantities and their changes. These topics are represented in modern mathematics ...

at Balliol College,

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

. After graduation, he became a barrister, but, living off a small annuity, devoted most of his time and energy to linguistic studies. At age 27, as a member of the Philological Society, he formed a committee with

Richard Chenevix Trench Richard Chenevix Trench (Richard Trench until 1873; 9 September 1807 – 28 March 1886) was an Anglican archbishop and poet. Life He was born in Dublin, Ireland, the son of Richard Trench (1774–1860), barrister-at-law, and the Dublin writ ...

and

Frederick Furnivall Frederick James Furnivall (4 February 1825 – 2 July 1910) was an English philologist, best known as one of the co-creators of the '' New English Dictionary''. He founded a number of learned societies on early English literature and made pio ...

to identify and research words unlisted and undefined in English dictionaries of the period. The efforts of this committee eventually led to the development of the ''Oxford English Dictionary''. A dedicated editor, he died of

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, ...

at age 30 after completing some fundamental work for the project.

Works

* ''A Glossarial Index to the Printed English Literature of the Thirteenth Century''. London: Trubner & Co., 1859. * ''A Dictionary of the First, or Oldest Words in the English Language: from the Semi Saxon Period of A.D. 1250 to 1300. Consisting of An Alphabetical Inventory of Every Word Found in the Printed English Literature of the 13TH Century''. London: John Camden Hotten, 1863.

References

* Simon Winchester (2003). '' The Meaning of Everything: The Story of the Oxford English Dictionary''. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press. . pp. 50–58.

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Coleridge, Herbert 1830 births 1861 deaths British lexicographers Herbert 19th-century deaths from tuberculosis Place of death missing Tuberculosis deaths in the United Kingdom British philologists 19th-century philologists Chief editors of the Oxford English Dictionary 19th-century lexicographers