A Dictionary of the First or Oldest Words in the English Language

Herbert Coleridge (1830-1861), a figure notable in the annals of lexicography, was an English philologist and one of the earliest editors of what would later flourish into the influential Oxford English Dictionary. Grandson of the famed Romantic poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Herbert showed early promise and scholarly potential. Educated at Eton and Balliol College, Oxford, he was not merely content with esoteric knowledge; rather, he sought to employ it in the construction of a comprehensive catalogue of the English language (Ker, 1905). His seminal work, 'A Dictionary of the First or Oldest Words in the English Language' (1859), provides a fascinating snapshot of the linguistic foundation of modern English by tracing the history of its earliest vocabulary. Coleridge's literary style is characteristically methodical and analytical, reflecting the precision and depth of his philological inquiries. Although his life was tragically cut short by tuberculosis at the age of 31, his foundational efforts in the study of the English language and his role in setting the groundwork for the Oxford English Dictionary have earned him a distinguished place in literary and linguistic history (Winchester, 2003).