Edward Lye
Encyclopedia
Edward Lye was an 18th century scholar of Old English and Germanic philology
.
His Dictionarium Saxonico- et Gothico-Latinum, published posthumously in 1772, was a milestone in the development of Old English lexicography, surpassed only by, and substantially contributing to, Joseph Bosworth
's Dictionary of the Anglo-Saxon language of 1838.
, Devon
, the son of Thomas Lye, vicar of Broadhempston
and a schoolmaster at Totnes, by his wife Catherine (nee Johnson). He was educated at his father's school and at Crewkerne
school, Somerset
. He went to Hart Hall, Oxford, where he entered 28 March 1713, and graduated B.A. 19 October 1716, M.A. 6 July 1722. He was ordained in 1717, and in 1721 was admitted vicar of Houghton Parva, Northamptonshire
.
On 4 January 1750 he was elected Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries. He resigned Houghton Parva about 1750 on being presented by James Compton, 5th Earl of Northampton
to the rectory of Yardley Hastings
. He at this time was supporting his mother and his two sisters. Lye died, aged 73, on 19 August 1767 of gout
, from which he had long suffered, at Yardley Hastings, where he was buried. His library was sold in 1773.
from the manuscript in the Bodleian Library
. To this work he prefixed an Anglo-Saxon grammar.
In 1750 he published the Gothic
version of the gospels, ‘Sacrorum Evangeliorum Versio Gothica,’ &c., Oxford, with a Latin translation, notes, and a Gothic grammar. About 1737 Lye began to work on an Anglo-Saxon and Gothic dictionary, which he despaired of publishing; in 1765 he was encouraged by a subscription from Archbishop Thomas Secker
, and other subscriptions. About thirty sheets were printed just before Lye's death, and the work was posthumously published, with additions, in 1772 by his friend Owen Manning
as ‘Dictionarium Saxonico et Gothico-Latinum. Accedunt fragmenta Versionis Ulphilanæ, necnon opuscula quædam Anglo-Saxonica,’ London, 1772.
Germanic philology
Germanic philology is the philological study of the Germanic languages particularly from a comparative or historical perspective.The beginnings of research into the Germanic languages began in the 16th century, with the discovery of literary texts in the earlier phases of the languages. Early...
.
His Dictionarium Saxonico- et Gothico-Latinum, published posthumously in 1772, was a milestone in the development of Old English lexicography, surpassed only by, and substantially contributing to, Joseph Bosworth
Joseph Bosworth
Joseph Bosworth , English scholar of Anglo-Saxon language and Anglo-Saxon literature, was born in Derbyshire.-Biography:Educated at Repton, whence he proceeded to the University of Aberdeen, he became in 1817 vicar of Little Horwood, Buckinghamshire, and devoted his spare time to literature and...
's Dictionary of the Anglo-Saxon language of 1838.
Life
He was born at TotnesTotnes
Totnes is a market town and civil parish at the head of the estuary of the River Dart in Devon, England within the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty...
, Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, the son of Thomas Lye, vicar of Broadhempston
Broadhempston
Broadhempston is a small village within the Teignbridge District Council Area in the County of Devon in the South West of England . It comprises 257 houses with a population of 641....
and a schoolmaster at Totnes, by his wife Catherine (nee Johnson). He was educated at his father's school and at Crewkerne
Crewkerne
Crewkerne is a town in Somerset, England, situated south west of Yeovil and east of Chard in the South Somerset district close to the border with Dorset. The civil parish of West Crewkerne includes the hamlets of Woolminstone and Henley...
school, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
. He went to Hart Hall, Oxford, where he entered 28 March 1713, and graduated B.A. 19 October 1716, M.A. 6 July 1722. He was ordained in 1717, and in 1721 was admitted vicar of Houghton Parva, Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
.
On 4 January 1750 he was elected Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries. He resigned Houghton Parva about 1750 on being presented by James Compton, 5th Earl of Northampton
James Compton, 5th Earl of Northampton
James Compton, 5th Earl of Northampton , known as Lord Compton from 1687 to 1727, was a British peer and politician.Northampton was the eldest son of George Compton, 4th Earl of Northampton, and his wife Jane...
to the rectory of Yardley Hastings
Yardley Hastings
Yardley Hastings is a village in the English county of Northamptonshire. It is located south-east of the county town of Northampton and is skirted on its south side by the main A428 road to Bedford.-History:...
. He at this time was supporting his mother and his two sisters. Lye died, aged 73, on 19 August 1767 of gout
Gout
Gout is a medical condition usually characterized by recurrent attacks of acute inflammatory arthritis—a red, tender, hot, swollen joint. The metatarsal-phalangeal joint at the base of the big toe is the most commonly affected . However, it may also present as tophi, kidney stones, or urate...
, from which he had long suffered, at Yardley Hastings, where he was buried. His library was sold in 1773.
Works
He began the study of Anglo-Saxon and related languages. In 1743 he published, with additions, the ‘Etymologicum Anglicanum’ of Francis JuniusFranciscus Junius (the younger)
Franciscus Junius , also known as François du Jon, was a pioneer of Germanic philology. As a collector of ancient manuscripts, he published the first modern editions of a number of important texts.-Life:...
from the manuscript in the Bodleian Library
Bodleian Library
The Bodleian Library , the main research library of the University of Oxford, is one of the oldest libraries in Europe, and in Britain is second in size only to the British Library...
. To this work he prefixed an Anglo-Saxon grammar.
In 1750 he published the Gothic
Gothic language
Gothic is an extinct Germanic language that was spoken by the Goths. It is known primarily from the Codex Argenteus, a 6th-century copy of a 4th-century Bible translation, and is the only East Germanic language with a sizable Text corpus...
version of the gospels, ‘Sacrorum Evangeliorum Versio Gothica,’ &c., Oxford, with a Latin translation, notes, and a Gothic grammar. About 1737 Lye began to work on an Anglo-Saxon and Gothic dictionary, which he despaired of publishing; in 1765 he was encouraged by a subscription from Archbishop Thomas Secker
Thomas Secker
Thomas Secker , Archbishop of Canterbury, was born at Sibthorpe, Nottinghamshire.-Early life and studies:In 1699, Secker went to Richard Brown's free school in Chesterfield, staying with his half-sister and her husband, Elizabeth and Richard Milnes...
, and other subscriptions. About thirty sheets were printed just before Lye's death, and the work was posthumously published, with additions, in 1772 by his friend Owen Manning
Owen Manning
Owen Manning was an English clergyman and antiquarian, known as a historian of Surrey.-Life:Son of Owen Manning of Orlingbury, Northamptonshire, he was born there on 11 August 1721, and received his education at Queens' College, Cambridge, where he graduated B.A. in 1740, M.A. in 1744, and B.D. in...
as ‘Dictionarium Saxonico et Gothico-Latinum. Accedunt fragmenta Versionis Ulphilanæ, necnon opuscula quædam Anglo-Saxonica,’ London, 1772.