oed med exercise

1. Review the tales and find an interesting word. Look for a word that plays a key role in an interesting passage, a word that repeats at important moments, a word that Chaucer uses to refer to a key concept in the text, or a word that has symbolic resonance. “Glose,” which we discussed in lecture, is a great example.
2. Look the word up in the OED. If you are new to the OED, read the following links: http://www.oed.com/public/quick/quickstart#quicksearch (Links to an external site.)and http://www.oed.com/public/entrydisplay/the-entry-display/ (Links to an external site.). Research the various uses of the word and its etymological root. Note that the OED includes the history of the English language, so make sure that you are only researching usage from around Chaucer’s time (1400 or before).
3. Look the same term up in the MED: https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/med/lookup.html (Links to an external site.). Research the various uses of the word and its etymological root.
4. *If your chosen word has straightforward, uncomplicated definitions—find another!*
5. Write a long paragraph that describes the various uses of the word and their interrelation. Note that the etymology may or may not be important, but the various definitions and uses of the word should be.
6. Write 2-3 paragraphs of close reading, reflecting upon how your research illuminates the text—either the specific passage in which it is located or a larger theme—and helps us to understand it in a new way.

The assignment should be about 500 words.