Mixed feelings in (and about) the online Anglo-Norman dictionary : Middle English within the semantic category of Emotion

Abstract

This article investigates the presence of Middle English features within the semantic category of Emotion in the online version of the second edition of the Anglo-Norman dictionary (AND2) (Rothwell et al., 2006–). An analysis of the AND2 reveals seven emotion-field terms of English origin in texts from the Anglo-Norman period in Britain, though three of these entries remain unclassified as emotional. Furthermore, certain meanings appear under different grammatical categories or are absent from the current editions of two authoritative English historical dictionaries to which the AND2 is hyperlinked: The Middle English dictionary (McSparran et al., 2000–2018) and the Oxford English dictionary (Simpson & Proffitt, 2000–). While internal limitations exist, these do not undermine the AND2’s value, as they are amendable in future revisions. The external discrepancies underscore the necessity of the AND2, positioning it as an essential resource that bridges gaps in post-Conquest English lexicography and lexicology.