Notes and Queries

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Notes and Queries (originally subtitled "a medium of inter-communication for literary men, artists, antiquaries, genealogists, etc") is a London-based, quarterly publication, part academic journal, part correspondence magazine, in which scholars and interested amateurs can exchange knowledge on literature and history.

Notes and Queries was first published in 1849 as a weekly periodical edited by William John Thoms. The format consisted of "Notes" (miscellaneous thoughts from correspondents that they and the editors considered of interest to the readership), and "Queries" (and responses to queries), which formed the bulk of the publication. The magazine has been likened to a nineteenth century version of a (moderated) Internet newsgroup.

There were numerous regional versions of Notes and Queries throughout Britain (e.g., Somerset and Dorset Notes and Queries) and three incarnations of American Notes and Queries.

Many of the entries in the journal for its first seventy years were but a few paragraphs long, and occasionally as short as a sentence or two. A very frequent contributor was the Rev. Walter W. Skeat, one of the most important figures in the field of English etymology.

Today, the magazine is produced as an academic journal. The articles are typically much longer than they were during the journal's early years, though they are shorter than those of the typical academic journal. Also, the 'Notes' now far outweigh the 'Queries', and book reviews have also been introduced. The focus is now almost entirely on literature.

The publication's motto, "When found, make a note of", is a catchphrase of a character in Dickens' Dombey and Son.

Notes and Queries has given its name to a number of similar columns and publications; for instance there is a regular feature under the same title Notes & Queries in The Guardian newspaper.