A MIDDLE ENGLISH VOCABULARY, DESIGNED FOR USE WITH SISAM'S FOURTEENTH CENTURY VERSE & PROSE

Oxford: The Clarendon Press, 1922. Professor Tolkien's first book, a glossary of Middle English words designed to accompany his old tutor Kenneth Sisam's Fourteenth Century Verse & Prose. "Tolkien gained praise for his glossary, which was unlike most others. Whereas it was a trend of the days to suggest (often questionable) etymologies of rare and obscure words, Tolkien chose to devote his time to the different meanings of common words...His Vocabulary is filled with textual references, and much of his findings elaborated on the OED, pre-dating words by sometimes a century. Some of these suggestions were taken into account in later editions of the OED" (Tolkien Gateway). Hammond & Anderson A1. Later Impression of the First Edition (per Hammond & Anderson), with the following points: 184 ornaments on the outer frame of the front wrapper and title page, no corrigenda on p.[168], terminal ads headed "Middle English" are undated, and 'Printed in England' printed from type below the outer frame on the title page. Octavo (18.75cm); original printed card wrappers; [168] + [3]pp ads. Moderate wear, two old Rugby School bookplates (one on top of the other) on verso of front wrapper, 1.75" loss to paper at lower spine, with some toning, a few tiny tears, and creases to text, and a few faint ink marks along lower margin of front wrapper; a complete, sound copy, but only Very Good.