description Elisha Coles Overview
Elisha Coles was a seventeenth-century English lexicographer and stenographer. His An English Dictionary, published in 1676, explained difficult terms used in fields including divinity, husbandry, physic, and other arts and sciences. The dictionary is also associated with regional English vocabulary and is studied as an example of early English lexicography, while his other publications included works on shorthand and English-Latin language use.
help Elisha Coles FAQ
What is Elisha Coles known for?
Elisha Coles was a seventeenth-century English lexicographer and stenographer. He is best known for An English Dictionary, published in 1676.
What subjects does Coles’s 1676 dictionary cover?
An English Dictionary explained difficult terms from fields including divinity, husbandry, physic, and other arts and sciences. It was intended to help readers understand specialized vocabulary, not just everyday words.
Why is An English Dictionary historically useful?
The dictionary records how technical and regional vocabulary was explained in seventeenth-century England. Its inclusion of terms from farming, medicine, religion, and practical arts gives it value beyond ordinary spelling reference.
Was Elisha Coles also a stenographer?
Yes. Coles is described as both a lexicographer and a stenographer, reflecting the connection between shorthand, language teaching, and reference publishing in his period.
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