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WITH the issue of the last part of this work comes the necessity for some additions to the

Preliminary Notice that accompanied Parts I and II. In that Notice it was mentioned that

Dr. Bosworth's MS. for so much of the Dictionary as was contained in Part II was incomplete,

and a similar remark applies with more force to the succeeding parts: little, indeed, was

added in the MS. to what was already contained in the previous edition. If with corresponding

parts of this previous edition the later part of the present one be compared, it will be seen

that much had to be done in order to get together the additional material that finds its place

in the new work. As the editor could not devote his time exclusively to the Dictionary, the

length of the interval between the date of appearance of Part II and that of Part IV may

I seem not inexcusably great. It has, however, been so great that in some respects alterations

have occurred in matters with which the Dictionary is concerned. Fresh material has been

brought to light, or old material has been brought forth in more accessible form; the views on many points connected with the language that are now held, are not those of fifteen years ago, and there will be certainly some points in work done fifteen years ago that now will need revision. There will also be other points that need revision, but which cannot plead this

excuse: mistakes and omissions, to some extent, are almost inevitable. Revision required under one or other head will be attempted in a supplement, which will be prepared as soon as possible.

In the course of the work some alterations have been made in the plan adopted by Dr. Bosworth. One of the difficulties connected with the cataloguing of English words, preserved in works written before 1100 is due to the variety of forms which a word may take

according to the time at which, or the locality in which, the MS. where it occurs was written. The Old-English specimens are scattered over centuries, and belong to different parts of England; naturally the form of a word is not always the same in the earlier and in the later

specimen of the same locality, or in the contemporary specimens of different localities. In the earlier part of the Dictionary the different forms of a word are given separately, in the later part they are collected under a single form; e.g. in the former case words having the mutation of é may appear under each of the forms which the varieties of that mutation (&e-acute;,ié í, ý) admit of, in the latter one form alone (i) is given. Slight alterations, too, will be found

noted in the list of references.

With regard to the marks used to distinguish difference in the vowels it may, be noticed that eá, eó are employed in all cases where the short ea, eo are not meant, e.g. sceóp, Goth. skóp, has the same symbols as Ieóf, Goth. liubs, etc.

My thanks are due to Professor Skeat for the readiness which he has always shown to

answer an appeal for help in a difficulty; to Professor Kluge and to Professor Heyne for

very helpful criticism of the earlier parts of the Dictionary. To the former I am indebted not

only for pointing out omissions, but for the assistance he has given in remedying them. He

very kindly sent me a copy of the glosses cited under the abbreviation Germ., and further

gave the Delegates of the University Press the opportunity, which they accepted of acquiring



			PREFACE.

		WITH the issue of the last part of this work comes the necessity for some additions to the Preliminary Notice that accompanied Parts I and II. In that Notice it was mentioned that Dr. Bosworth's MS. for so much of the Dictionary as was contained in Part II was incomplete, and a similar remark applies with more force to the succeeding parts: little, indeed, was added in the MS. to what was already contained in the previous edition. If with corresponding parts of this previous edition the later part of the present one be compared, it will be seen that much had to be done in order to get together the additional material that finds its place in the new work. As the editor could not devote his time exclusively to the Dictionary, the length of the interval between the date of appearance of Part II and that of Part IV may I seem not inexcusably great. It has, however, been so great that in some respects alterations have occurred in matters with which the Dictionary is concerned. Fresh material has been brought to light, or old material has been brought forth in more accessible form; the views on many points connected with the language that are now held, are not those of fifteen years ago, and there will be certainly some points in work done fifteen years ago that now will need revision. There will also be other points that need revision, but which cannot plead this excuse: mistakes and omissions, to some extent, are almost inevitable. Revision required under one or other head will be attempted in a supplement, which will be prepared as soon as possible. In the course of the work some alterations have been made in the plan adopted by Dr. Bosworth. One of the difficulties connected with the cataloguing of English words, preserved in works written before 1100 is due to the variety of forms which a word may take according to the time at which, or the locality in which, the MS. where it occurs was written. The Old-English specimens are scattered over centuries, and belong to different parts of England; naturally the form of a word is not always the same in the earlier and in the later specimen of the same locality, or in the contemporary specimens of different localities. In the earlier part of the Dictionary the different forms of a word are given separately, in the later part they are collected under a single form; e.g. in the former case words having the mutation of é may appear under each of the forms which the varieties of that mutation (&e-acute;,ié í, ý) admit of, in the latter one form alone (i) is given. Slight alterations, too, will be found noted in the list of references. With regard to the marks used to distinguish difference in the vowels it may, be noticed that eá, eó are employed in all cases where the short ea, eo are not meant, e.g. sceóp, Goth. skóp, has the same symbols as Ieóf, Goth. liubs, etc. My thanks are due to Professor Skeat for the readiness which he has always shown to answer an appeal for help in a difficulty; to Professor Kluge and to Professor Heyne for very helpful criticism of the earlier parts of the Dictionary. To the former I am indebted not only for pointing out omissions, but for the assistance he has given in remedying them. He very kindly sent me a copy of the glosses cited under the abbreviation Germ., and further gave the Delegates of the University Press the opportunity, which they accepted of acquiring