Middle English Dictionary
Entry maps

Master MED2-to-OED map.

An XML file that maps MED headwords and their IDs to OED headwords and their IDs (in both the current and former form of the OED ID scheme). Also includes a field for the modern English equivalent, usually based transparently on the OED headword. This file is not equipped with a style sheet, is not intended for attractive display, but for machine processing, though it can of course be read with a text editor. Because the file is not really displayable, it is available here as a downloadable zip.

MED to modern English equivalent

This map is extracted from the master map above. It is a simple text file.

Master MED2DOE map.

An XML file that maps MED headwords and their IDs to DOE headwords and their IDs. This map has not caught up with the latest releases by DOE. Because the file is not really displayable, it is available here as a downloadable zip.

The master MED2OED map generates the OED links in the online MED. It also populates the index of modern English words when the 'search modern English equivalent' option is selected. The map is incomplete, and prone to error. About 30,000 of its links were generated automatically, about 20,000 were added manually, mostly by student workers. Both methods have been known to generate errors. 3,000 entries have not yet been mapped at all by either method.

NOTE: maps between dictionaries can never be straightforwardly 1:1, and these are no exception. E.g. a single MED entry may point to more than one OED entry (especially, but not exclusively, when the MED entry is a compound and it is necessary to point to both elements of the compound); and multiple MED entries may point to the same OED entry. This means that the map is not simply reversible for those wanting to go in the opposite direction.