Indiana State University Library
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The Warren N. and Suzanne B. Cordell Collection of Dictionaries
In December 1969 Warren N. Cordell, an alumnus of Indiana State University
and senior executive with A. C. Nielsen Company in Chicago, donated 453
early English dictionaries in both his and his wife Suzanne's name. This
donation began Cordell's long involvement in building the Cordell Collection
of Dictionaries, with the main emphasis on pre-1901 imprints and a
a secondary emphasis on dictionaries and word books published thereafter.
A National Endowment for the Humanities grant received in July
1970 allowed the purchase of 434 editions, many in multiple volumes, over
the next two years. It also provided seed money for the establishment of
a book conservation program and the fostering of scholarly activities related
to lexicography. In 1973, when the Special Collections Department opened its
doors for the first time, the original gift was transferred to a specially designed
Cordell Room adjoining the lobby area of the department.
Lists, Databases, Etc.
- Cordell-Pre-1901 Dictionaries Etc.
- Minimally-cataloged Pre-1901 Dictionaries, Etc.
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Supplement to
Catalog of Dictionaries, Word Books, and Philological Texts, 1440-1900. [55 pp.; additions from 1993 through 2000; arranged by main entry. Acrobat PDF format.] - Dictionaries Published in the United States. Compiled by Rolland McGiverin. [Micromedia housed in Teaching Materials, Microform and Media Area. Acrobat PDF format.]
- Dictionaries Printed in Britain Compiled by Rolland McGiverin. [Micromedia housed in Teaching Materials, Microform and Media Area. Acrobat PDF format.]
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Major Lexicographers
- Nathan Bailey
- Samuel Johnson
- John Walker
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Joseph Worcester
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Poole, William Frederick.
The Orthographical Hobgoblin by Philorthos, 1859. PDF
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Poole, William Frederick.
- Special Topics or Subjects
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Cordell Twentieth-Century Dictionaries and Beyond.
- Searchable database. Search by author, title, subject/language, publisher data, and date of publication. You may also browse authors. Written in Access.
- askSam searchable database. Boolean searching available. No field limit restrictions.
Local Dictionary Research & Associated Holdings
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Compiler Name Authority Records for
Incunable Dictionaries: A Checklist and Publishing History , 1994. - Publishing History of Dictionaries Appearing before 1501. Revised 2006.
- Mitford Mathews research materials, including a citation file and his U. of Chicago dissertation (1930)
- Laurence Urdang research materials [900 cubic feet in 30 containers]
- In Search Shakespeare’s Dictionary Based on True Stories • Jerry M. Rosenberg
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Henry Burger Archive of
The Wordtree [copies of the book, publicity materials, reviews, production samples, etc.] - Georg H. J. Weydling Collection [language teaching and study materials, including Latin, Greek, Russian, Arabic, and other languages; 2000+ volumes when completely received]
Cordell Research Fellowship Program
An endowment has been established to help defray some of the expenses of individuals traveling to Terre Haute to use the Cordell Collection of Dictionaries for research. For information about eligibility and guidelines, print out the announcement , contact the department by telephone at 812 237-2610, or e-mail Special Collections.
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510 N 6 1/2 Street, Terre Haute, IN 47809
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