| Definition:
An alphabetical list of glosses — i.e., unusual or obscure words that need explanation.
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| Example:
How to Speak East Enders: A Brief Glossary of Cockney Expressions.
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| Etymology:
The word derives from the Latin glossarium, collection of glosses, which in turn derives from the Greek glossarion, the diminutive of glossa, obsolete or foreign word.
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Oxford English Dictionary: The word's first OED citation is from 1380: "As seiþ þe bok, iclept Glosarie."
(S. Paula 36 in Horstm. Altengl. Leg. (1878) 8) |