Words in Vogue Seen in 18th Century Literary Works: With Special Reference to Goldsmith's The Vicar of Wakefield

The Vicar of Wakefield, Goldsmith's only novel published in 1776, embodies a wide variety of lexical features which reflect the 18th century British hierarchical society. The present paper aims at exploring words in vogue in those days especially among 'people of fashion.' Words of historical significant in this novel, as well as in several other contemporary literary works, are examined from a philological point of view, each of their etymological origins being traced mainly with the aid of the Oxford English Dictionary. Through the discussion in this paper, we hope to illuminate some linguistic trends, along with some fashionable taste, in 18th century London.