Jane Austen & the Oxford English Dictionary: A Visit with Charlotte Brewer
October 2, 2025
"Bath bun," "bobbinet," "poor basket," "vanity-bait"—these are just a few of the words the Oxford English Dictionary credits Jane Austen with using for the first time in print, and almost all are words related to domestic and everyday life. In this episode, we sit down with scholar Charlotte Brewer to explore the Dictionary’s 19th-century origins, its reliance on volunteer readers, its ongoing digital evolution, and the literary biases that shaped whose words were recorded. A must-listen for word nerds!
Charlotte Brewer is Emerita Fellow in English at Hertford College, Oxford. She began her career as a medievalist, subsequently turning to the history of the English language and in particular its record in the Oxford English Dictionary. Her publications include studies of Jane Austen and Shakespeare in the OED, and she is currently working on the Murray Scriptorium, a co-edited edition of the letters of James Murray, first chief editor of the OED.
Many thanks to Charlotte for joining us on Austen Chat!
Listen to Episode 28
You can stream this episode on your favorite podcast app and on our YouTube Channel. Or listen to the interview and read the transcript and show notes on the Episode 28 webpage.
