A Word Geography of England
Details
Type of record: Archive
Title: A Word Geography of England
Classmark: LAVC/WGE
Creator(s): Orton, Harold (1898-1975)
Date(s): 1970-1977
Size and medium: 2 boxes with 17 files.; 0.82 linear metres.
Persistent link: https://explore.library.leeds.ac.uk/special-collections-explore/409806
Collection group(s): Leeds Archive of Vernacular Culture
Description
This subfonds includes items relating to the production of 'A Word Geography of England' (WGE), the first linguistic atlas based on the Survey of English Dialects to be published. It consists of editorial papers, including draft texts and maps, errata and addenda; publicity items produced by the publishers; and reviews of the atlas from newspapers and scholarly journals.
Biography or history
The ultimate aim of the Survey of English Dialects (SED) from the outset was to produce a comprehensive atlas of dialectal English as spoken by the older generation (Orton, WGE, p.1). 'A Word Geography of England' was co-authored by Harold Orton and Nathalia Wright of the Department of English at the University of Tennessee (Wright was the cartographer). Published in 1974, it consists of 251 word maps based on the Survey of English Dialects Basic Material.
The base maps show England (with Wales and southern Scotland), with county boundaries, county numbers (as for the SED), and county abbreviations as used by the English Place-Name Society. The 313 SED localities are also represented. Isoglosses mark the boundary lines between areas of distribution for particular words or expressions. References are given to the relevant section of the Dieth-Orton Questionnaire for each notion mapped. Responses noted in the incidental material collected by SED fieldworkers were included in mapping.
The aim of the WGE was the production of a linguistic atlas that would map the occurrence and distribution of speech usages, taking into account the characteristics of particular regions. The maps were intended to be interpretive, and attempted to address the cause of existing dialectal distribution through etymological and historical consideration.
System of arrangement
The subfonds has been arranged into 2 series:
- Editor's Papers
- Publicity
Access and usage
Reproduction
Access
Some parts of this collection are in copyright. Photocopies or digital images of the material in copyright can be supplied for private study purposes only. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain the copyright holder’s permission for reproduction of copyright material for purposes other than research or private study. Guidance is available on tracing copyright status and ownership.
Some parts of this collection have not been listed in detail and the content may be protected under the Data Protection Act and other relevant legislation. Please consult the relevant part of the catalogue for specific details. Where a detailed record does not exist, please contact Special Collections. Upon receipt of your request, a member of the team will discuss your requirements with you and review relevant material accordingly
The catalogue titles or descriptions in this collection may contain terminology and phrases that would now be considered unacceptable. Where present these original terms continue to be included to preserve historical accuracy and provide social and historical context.
Material in this collection is in copyright. Photocopies or digital images can only be supplied by the Library for research or private study within the terms of copyright legislation. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain the copyright holder's permission to reproduce for any other purpose. Guidance is available on tracing copyright status and ownership.
Not all items have a specific location so additional searches will be requiredThe filter at the top right of the map can be used to filter on sub-collection locations