The Dictionary of Lost Words: Questions and Answers

Why does Esme keep the bondmaid slip?

Esme keeps the bondmaid slip because it fell into her lap as a child, and she feels it is a word that was discarded and needs preserving. It becomes the first entry in her secret collection, symbolizing her lifelong mission to rescue words that the dictionary excludes, especially those tied to women's experiences.

Evidence context: In the prologue, Esme sees her father throw slips into the fire, and she rescues a burning slip, learning that some words matter more than others. In May 1887, she catches the bondmaid slip that falls from the sorting table and hides it in Lizzie's trunk. In August 1901, she finds it at the bottom of her trunk and realizes it was written in her father's hand. In the epilogue, Megan Brooks reveals it belonged to her mother, Esme. The slip is a symbol of the lost words that the dictionary ignores, and Esme's act of keeping it foreshadows her entire project of collecting women's words. It also connects to her mother's absence and her own identity.

How does Lizzie's hat pin become a symbol of memory and identity?

Lizzie's hat pin, hidden under the lining of her trunk, becomes a symbol of her mother's memory and Lizzie's own sense of permanence. When Esme bends it while scratching words into the trunk lid, she damages a precious heirloom, but Lizzie forgives her, and the pin remains a touchstone for both women.

Evidence context: In May 1887, Esme finds the hat pin under the trunk's lining, and Lizzie explains it belonged to her late mother. In August 1893, Esme uses the pin to scratch 'The Dictionary of Lost Words' into the trunk lid, bending it. Lizzie is upset but forgives Esme after Esme apologizes. In November 1908, Lizzie still keeps the pin, and it is associated with her mother's photograph. The pin represents the fragile evidence of a working-class woman's existence, contrasting with the dictionary's written records. Esme's misuse of it shows her youthful selfishness, but the reconciliation deepens their bond.

What is the significance of Ditte's letters and the word 'literately'?

Ditte's letters to Esme and her father are a lifeline of intellectual encouragement, and the word 'literately' becomes a gift that highlights the dictionary's gender bias. Ditte sends it as a rejected word, showing how women's contributions are often dismissed, yet Esme treasures it as a personal connection.

Evidence context: In September 1896, Ditte writes to Harry about Esme's education and encloses the word 'literately' for Esme, noting it was rejected despite having six quotations from women. In August 1897, Esme reads Ditte's letters and feels betrayed when Ditte declines to tutor her. Later, Ditte's letters continue to shape Esme's choices. 'Literately' symbolizes the words that women use but that the dictionary deems unworthy, and Ditte's act of giving it to Esme is a form of resistance. It also foreshadows Esme's own collection of lost words.

Why does Esme scratch 'The Dictionary of Lost Words' into Lizzie's trunk?

Esme scratches the title into the trunk lid as an act of defiance and ownership after being caught stealing a word slip. It marks the trunk as her secret archive, but it also damages Lizzie's treasured possession, forcing Esme to confront the consequences of her actions.

Evidence context: In August 1893, after Mr. Crane accuses her of stealing, Esme is sent to Lizzie's room to reflect. She uses Lizzie's hat pin to scratch the words into the trunk lid, bending the pin. Lizzie discovers it and is hurt, but they reconcile. The trunk becomes the physical home of Esme's lost words. The act is both a declaration of purpose and a violation of trust. It shows Esme's need to claim a space for discarded words, but also her immaturity in using someone else's precious object.

How does Mr. Crane's accusation of theft affect Esme's relationship with the Scriptorium?

Mr. Crane's accusation makes Esme feel unwelcome and drives her to spend more time in the kitchen, away from the Scriptorium. It also deepens her sense that the dictionary is a male-dominated space where her presence is questioned, reinforcing her desire to collect words secretly.

Evidence context: In August 1893, Mr. Crane calls her 'light-fingered' and she is forced to return a slip. In September 1896, he objects to her presence again, and she begins to avoid the Scriptorium. In August 1897, she sneaks in to take slips, feeling alienated. Mr. Crane represents the institutional resistance to women's involvement in lexicography. His accusations push Esme to define her own relationship with words, outside the official dictionary.

What does the word 'hurry' as harassment reveal about Esme's rebellion?

When Esme finds a slip defining 'hurry' as harassment, she keeps it, recognizing a meaning that resonates with her own feelings of being pressured. This act of taking a word that the dictionary might overlook is a small rebellion against the authority of the Scriptorium and a step toward her own collection.

Evidence context: In August 1897, Esme reads Ditte's edits and finds a slip for 'hurry' with a definition akin to harassment. She hides it in her trunk, then later pins 'abandon' and 'alone' to Ditte's letter. Her father catches her, but she keeps the slips. The word 'hurry' as harassment reflects Esme's sense of being rushed into adulthood and education against her will. By keeping it, she asserts control over language and her own narrative.

How does the discovery of the bondmaid slip in the A-B volume create a turning point?

When Dr. Murray receives a subscriber's letter noting that 'bondmaid' is missing from the A-B volume, Esme retrieves her hidden trunk and finds the slip at the bottom. This moment forces her to confront the consequences of her childhood theft and the dictionary's fallibility, leading her to write a new definition for the word.

Evidence context: In August 1901, Dr. Murray searches for the missing slip, and Esme realizes she has it. She tells Lizzie and writes to Ditte, who explains the dictionary requires written sources. Esme later writes her own bondmaid definition and gives it to Elsie for Mr. Bradley. The missing bondmaid slip becomes a symbol of the words that are lost because they lack written evidence. Esme's decision to redefine it herself marks her transition from a collector to a lexicographer who challenges the dictionary's authority.

Why does Esme collect words from Mabel and the market women, and what does 'cunt' and 'quim' represent?

Esme collects words from Mabel and other market women because they are oral, working-class words that the dictionary excludes. Words like 'cunt' and 'quim' represent female bodily experience and are deemed obscene, yet Esme records them to preserve women's language and challenge the dictionary's prudishness.

Evidence context: In May 1902, Mabel teaches Esme the words 'cunt' and 'quim,' which Esme records with Mabel's name. She finds they are absent from the C volume. In May 1909, she writes her own definitions for 'cunt' after discovering it was excluded despite supporting quotations. These words are central to Esme's project of documenting women's lives. By collecting them, she resists the dictionary's censorship and asserts that women's experiences deserve recognition.

How does the word 'morbs' from Mabel connect to grief and loss?

Mabel gives Esme the word 'morbs,' meaning a passing sadness, shortly before her death. Esme records it on a slip with Mabel's name, preserving both the word and the memory of her friend. The word becomes a way to articulate the grief Esme feels for Mabel and for her own losses.

Evidence context: In November 1908, Esme visits Mabel in the market and receives a bundle of slips and a carved figure. Mabel tells her the word 'morbs.' Mabel dies soon after, and Esme records the word. The trunk holds it as a testament to Mabel's life. 'Morbs' captures the transient nature of sadness, and Esme's act of recording it honors Mabel's contribution to her collection. It also reflects Esme's own grief over her daughter and father.

What is the role of the trunk as an archive of lost words?

The trunk under Lizzie's bed serves as Esme's secret archive, holding discarded slips, letters, and words she has collected. It represents an alternative dictionary, one that values oral and women's language, and it becomes the foundation for her later project of compiling 'Women's Words and Their Meanings.'

Evidence context: From May 1887, Esme stores slips in the trunk. In August 1893, she scratches its title. In August 1901, she retrieves the bondmaid slip from it. In December 1912, she sorts slips from the trunk. In September 1915, she retrieves the trunk containing Gareth's gift. The trunk is a physical manifestation of Esme's resistance to the official dictionary. It holds the words that are excluded, and its eventual contents are published as a book, showing the value of what was lost.

How does Esme's relationship with Gareth develop through the gift of 'Women's Words and Their Meanings'?

Gareth, a compositor at the Press, becomes a supportive ally who helps Esme collect and preserve her words. He gives her a printed, leather-bound volume of her collected words, titled 'Women's Words and Their Meanings,' which validates her work and deepens their romantic connection.

Evidence context: In December 1912, Gareth helps Esme gather slips and later brings her a slip for 'cabbage' from his mother. In August 1914, he gives her the printed volume. In July 1915, he inscribes it before leaving for war. In September 1915, he dies, and Esme receives his final letter. Gareth's gift transforms Esme's private collection into a public artifact, affirming the importance of women's words. Their relationship is built on mutual respect for language and each other, and his death underscores the cost of war.

Why does Esme decide not to marry Bill and instead accept Ditte's plan?

Esme realizes she does not want to marry Bill, especially after discovering she is pregnant. She values her independence and her work at the Scriptorium, and Ditte offers her a way to escape social stigma by becoming her research assistant in Bath, allowing her to keep her child's existence secret.

Evidence context: In December 1906, Lizzie tells Esme she is pregnant. Esme tells Lizzie she does not want to marry Bill. She writes to Ditte, who proposes a plan: Esme will live with her and Beth as a research assistant, and later the baby will be adopted by Sarah and Philip Brooks. Esme agrees. Esme's choice reflects her desire for autonomy and her rejection of conventional marriage. Ditte's support provides a practical solution that preserves Esme's future, though it means giving up her daughter.

What does the word 'lie-child' signify and why is it excluded?

'Lie-child' is a term for an illegitimate child, and Esme searches for it in the dictionary after her daughter's death, only to find it excluded. The word's absence reflects the dictionary's erasure of women's experiences and the stigma surrounding illegitimacy, which Esme herself has faced.

Evidence context: In September 1907, Esme reflects on her daughter's death and searches for 'lie-child,' finding it missing. In November 1928, Megan Brooks also looks it up and finds it absent, reading the definition of 'bastard' instead. The exclusion of 'lie-child' symbolizes the dictionary's failure to acknowledge the realities of women's lives. Esme's own experience as a mother who gave up her child makes this word personally significant, and its absence highlights the gaps in official language.

How does the epilogue's use of 'bondmaid' by Megan Brooks tie the story together?

In the epilogue, Megan Brooks, Esme's daughter, delivers a lecture titled 'The Dictionary of Lost Words' and speaks the word 'bondmaid,' explaining that it once belonged to her mother. This moment connects Esme's lifelong collection to the next generation, showing that her work has been preserved and honored.

Evidence context: In November 1928, Megan receives the trunk and learns about Esme. In the epilogue, set in 1989, she addresses a lexicography convention, holding a slip with 'bondmaid.' She smiles at a young student, implying the legacy continues. The bondmaid slip, which Esme kept from childhood, becomes a symbol of her entire project. Megan's use of it in a public lecture validates Esme's efforts and ensures that the lost words are not forgotten.

How does the Author's Note reveal the novel's purpose regarding gender and language?

The Author's Note explains that the novel was inspired by the question of whether words mean different things to men and women, and whether something was lost in defining them. Pip Williams researched the OED's male-dominated history and found women in supporting roles, leading her to write a story that explores how language defines identity.

Evidence context: The Author's Note mentions the real bondmaid slips without a top-slip, and the lip-pencil note from Edith Thompson. It acknowledges the dictionary's flaws and gendered nature. The note grounds the novel in historical fact while emphasizing the fictional exploration of women's erasure. It invites readers to consider how dictionaries shape our understanding of the world and who gets to define it.