description Richard Cleasby Overview
Richard Cleasby was a 19th-century British lexicographer renowned for his pioneering work on Old Norse and Icelandic languages. His initial efforts to create an Icelandic-English dictionary laid the foundation for a comprehensive resource. This project, notably finished with Gudbrand Vigfusson, remains invaluable for scholars studying historical linguistics, particularly those researching Scandinavian vocabulary and texts from that era. It is primarily used by academics and researchers in fields like philology, history, and archaeology.
help Richard Cleasby FAQ
Why is the dictionary called Cleasby-Vigfússon if Richard Cleasby died first?
Cleasby assembled extensive manuscript collections but died in 1847 before completing the dictionary. Guðbrandur Vigfússon enlarged and finished the work for publication by Oxford's Clarendon Press in 1874.
Does Cleasby's Icelandic-English Dictionary cover modern Icelandic?
Its main subject is Old Icelandic, commonly treated as Old Norse in modern scholarship. It is therefore most useful for sagas, Eddic poetry, and medieval prose rather than everyday contemporary Icelandic.
Can the Cleasby-Vigfússon dictionary still be used online?
Yes. Scanned and searchable editions are available through projects such as the Germanic Lexicon Project, Wikisource, and Google Books.
How does Cleasby-Vigfússon differ from Zoëga's Old Icelandic dictionary?
Cleasby-Vigfússon is the much larger historical reference, with extensive citations and etymological discussion. Geir T. Zoëga's Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic is shorter and often easier for beginners to consult.
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