Searching for quotations by date

Dates can be typed as a single date, as above, or in the form of a closed range (e.g. 1340-1345), an open range (e.g. 1340-), or the end of a range (e.g. -1340). Wildcards cannot be used in date searches.

Note that typing dates in the form of a range is interpreted as a search for quotations whose dates fall within that range. For example, searching for 1470-1471 will find quotations with dates of 1470 or 1471. However, to search for individual quotations whose date has this range, you would need to search for 1470-71 in full text, where the search is conducted as a simple match of the date typed.

Many quotation dates in the OED are preceded by ‘a’, ‘c’, or ‘?’, for ‘ante’, ‘circa’, and queried dates respectively. Such dates are matched by searches for the plain four-digit date; for example, searching for 1284 will find quotations with dates c1284 and ?1284.

In the New Edition, Old English quotations (representing early English until 1150) are dated ‘OE’, preceded by ‘e’ or ‘l’ for ‘early’ or ‘late’ when appropriate. However, it is not possible to use letters in a quotation date search; to find quotations dated ‘eOE’, ‘OE’, and ‘lOE’, type 800, 1000, and 1100 respectively. (The periodizing of Old English texts largely follows N. R. Ker's Catalogue of Manuscripts containing Anglo-Saxon, 1990.)