Contributions to Latin Lexicography

Henry Nettleship (1839-1893), Professor of Latin at Oxford, published his work on Latin lexicography in 1889. The volume had originally been planned as a complete Latin lexicon; however, after almost twelve years (during which Lewis and Short’s Latin Dictionary was published in 1879) of labour on the letter A, the size of the endeavour became apparent and the shape of the work was revised, becoming a detailed lexicon of the letter A, which amounted to two-thirds of the work, with shorter lexicographical notes on the other letters up to U. For the words he covered, many of Nettleship’s entries are more detailed and specialised than Lewis and Short’s, and there is a far greater emphasis placed on early Roman literature and Latin glossaries in the notes on etymology and usage. The critical thoroughness of the work has ensured its continued use by Latin scholars and lexicographers.