How to Use the Oxford English Dictionary (OED)

The Oxford English Dictionary can be an invaluable tool when it comes to understanding certain pieces of literature. The aim of this article is not to discuss the origins or editors of the Oxford English Dictionary, but the effect it can have when used as a guide of sorts to a work of literature that a reader doesn't fully understand. For an example, consider Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.

Even though Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a masterpiece of medieval poetry, there are some words in the poem that are difficult to understand. There aren't many, but knowing the definition of the words that are unfamiliar gives the reader a better understanding of the concept of the text, thus contributing to the overall reaction and comprehension of what the writer is trying to say. Originally written in Middle English by an unknown fourteenth-century author, the poem’s translation into Modern English does not make it perfect, and it still contains words the reader struggles to understand. The presence of such words is tolerable, seeing as how each one somehow adds to the grandeur of the poem, but the reader far too often skips over them; therefore, the reader does not grasp the complete comprehension of the text and is sometimes non-responsive. With such a valuable tool as the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), the reader can avoid such instances. Once the reader uses OED in reference to unknown words that the text contains, the reader attains a better understanding of the poem, and the overall reaction is much more rewarding.

One of the first words the reader does not recognize in the poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is debonair. As King Arthur and his knights gather at Camelot, the Gawain poet proceeds to describe the atmosphere by saying, “For there the feasting flowed…debonair rejoicing by day, dancing at night!” By consulting the OED, the reader discovers debonair’s first use is in 1225, derives from Old French, and means “of gentle disposition” and “pleasant and affable in outward manner or address.” This definition informs the reader of the conduct in which the knights behave, completely changing the setting of the gathering and giving it a more courteous appearance, which is the complete opposite of the reader’s first assumption that it is nothing more than a party of sorts where they check pleasantness in at the door. This description goes hand in hand with the general idea that all knights are, or at least, should be, pleasant and courteous at all times, and contributes greatly to the understanding of the character of Sir Gawain further on in the poem.

Another word the reader does not recognize is loquacity. Later on in the poem, after the Green Knight’s beheading and his noncompliance with the rules of death, the knights talk about it amongst themselves. The Gawain poet says, “Their loquacity knew no limit now, so lively was their talk". At first, the reader thinks it implies the knights are drunk, but the OED defines it as “talkativeness.” The word’s first use is in 1603 and derives from the Latin word loqui, which means, “to speak.” This lets the reader know that the knights are not drunk, but that the event causes a great deal of excitement and the knights aren't able to keep quiet about it.

Another word the reader does not recognize is blenched, which derives from Old English, and its first use is in 1813. When Sir Gawain is on his search for the Green Knight, he stumbles on to a castle with a “…well-provided wall---it blenched at never a blast”. The reader, not being familiar with blenched, pays the word no mind and continues reading, but a short definition from the OED defines it as “to grow pale.” This definition does wonders in describing the castle: it is a fortress with walls that not only withstand an enemy’s onslaught, but also never pale at such attempts. The reader then understands that the master and his castle must be analogous.

The next word the reader does not understand is barbican, which the Gawain poet uses to continue describing the castle and its turrets, by saying, “No better barbican had ever been beheld by that knight…” The OED informs the reader that barbican’s first use is in 1300, derives from Old French, and means “an outer fortification or defense.” With this definition, the description of the Green Knight’s castle is even more set in the mind of the reader.

An additional word the reader struggles with is habiliment, which Sir Thomas Malory first uses in 1470 in his work Morte Darthur. Habiliment derives from Old French, and the OED defines it as “attire.” When Sir Gawain and the Green Knight’s wife first talk, it is when she sneaks into his room before he is even out of bed. It is embarrassing for Sir Gawain, and he tells her, “…I would abandon my bed for a better habiliment, and have more happiness…” With the OED’s definition of habiliment, the reader understands Sir Gawain’s embarrassment because he’s not wearing all his clothes, if any at all, and the Lady’s presence makes him uncomfortable.

As Sir Gawain and the Lady continue their conversation, the reader comes across the word essay. When the Lady tempts Sir Gawain with flattery, Sir Gawain asks her “to essay, by speech or some other service”. At first, the entire conversation confuses the reader, but with a quick reference to the OED and the definition it gives, the reader understands not only Sir Gawain and the Lady’s first conversation, but also the results of it. Deriving from Old French with its first use being in 1483, the OED defines essay as “to put to the proof” or “test the nature.” With this definition, the reader understands that Sir Gawain, instead of surrendering to her flattery, is asking the Lady to prove the nature of her affection. In addition, with the previous definition of habiliment, the reader realizes that Sir Gawain is more on his guard because of the awkward situation the Lady puts him in, still being in bed.

The next word that hinders the reader is baneful, which the Gawain poet uses to describe the boar that the Green Knight is hunting along with his men and dogs. The Gawain poet calls it a “…baneful boar of unbelievable size…” Although the reader is aware that most boars are generally dangerous animals, the word baneful almost makes the boar sound like its sad, and immediately the reader begins to feel sorry for it. A quick reference to the OED, however, and the reader finds out that baneful, a word that originates in 1593 and derives from Old French, means “life-destroying,” which agrees with the reader’s assessment that most boars are dangerous animals, but also informs the reader of the hazards of the hunt that the Green Knight and his men undertake.

Another word unfamiliar to the reader is castellan, a word that originates in 1393, derives from Old Northern French, and the OED defines as “the governor of a castle.” The Gawain poet says that while Sir Gawain goes to mass and then to dinner, “…the castellan often coursed across the country, pursued his savage boar…” The Green Knight’s hunt takes all day, but he eventually kills the boar himself. With the help of the OED, a headline stating, “Local Castellan Slays Baneful Boar,” starts to make a lot more sense to the reader. By now, the Gawain poet establishes that the Green Knight, castellan and master of his castle, is much like its walls that never blench.

An additional word the reader comes across and struggles to understand is caitiff. To further describe Sir Gawain’s predicament concerning the Green Knight’s wife, the Gawain poet says, “…he felt forced either to allow her love or blackguardly rebuff her. His courtesy was in question, lest he be called caitiff…” Referencing the OED for a definition, the reader finds out that caitiff, whose first use is in 1300 and derives from Old French, means “expressing contempt, and often involving strong moral disapprobation,” a “despicable wretch,” and a “villain.” The reader learns previously that Sir Gawain is already uncomfortable with the Lady’s forwardness, but, at this point in the poem, he is at a confliction: he can tell the Lady he wants nothing to do with her due to moral reasons and have her consider him a villain, or he can let her continue with her seduction. Both decisions are against his moral judgment, and Sir Gawain tells the Lady that he has no wish to love anyone for a while. It is perhaps the best move a debonair knight can make.

The last word to disadvantage the reader is pell-mell. Pell-mell derives from Old French and its first use is in 1579. The Gawain poet uses pell-mell to describe the Green Knight’s third and final hunt for the fox, which, once it had heard the hounds, “came rushing through a rough thicket, with the pack all pell-mell, panting at his heels”. The OED defines pell-mell as a “reference to the pursuer and the pursued: in such a manner as to be confused with each other.” With this definition in mind, the reader suddenly understands the similarities of the hunt and the seduction. As the Green Knight chases the deer during his first hunt, the Lady pursues Sir Gawain with flattery, but he resists it as easily as the Green Knight kills the deer. On the Green Knight’s second hunt, he tangles with a baneful boar, and the Lady becomes more dangerous, herself. By great strength, both men overcome their antagonists. In the third and last hunt, the Green Knight chases down and kills the fox, an animal know characteristically as an evil trickster. Like the fox, the Lady attempts once more to seduce Sir Gawain, this time using her naked body as incentive. Another comparison the reader makes from knowing the definition of pell-mell is that it resembles the intricate plot the Green Knight devises. Even though Sir Gawain believes he is the pursuer, the Green Knight changes identity enough times that the pursuer and the prey interchange, and, soon enough, the reader is not sure as to which one is which.

In conclusion, not only does the OED help the reader understand difficult words in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, but also the entire poem. Before referencing the OED, the ending does not satisfy the reader, because the poem loses its complexity and effect in the translation, but, with the new definitions at the reader’s disposal, the poem becomes understandable and even enjoyable. The extremely useful OED even offers first usage of the words, in some cases, and its origin, adding immensely to the reader’s enjoyment of learning. Before referencing the OED, the poem, for the reader, lacks a good ending and an acceptable plot, but with such a powerful tool as the OED, the reader begins to fall in love with the story, considering it a highly acceptable piece of literature, where the effect is all that matters, and the ending is just details.