<i>Keywords</i> and keywording

This article pursues two tasks. The first is to clarify the value and productivity of Williams’s Keywords: a vocabulary culture society (first edition 1976, second expanded 1983a) for project Cultural Studies. clarification helped, I argue, by reading it alongside Vološinov’s Marxism philosophy language (published in Russian 1929, translated into English 1973). related task speculative development ‘keywording’ (or keyword analysis) based on an assessment limitations potential broad philological today. My argument that Keywords initially sought provide historical map changing patterns feeling associated (primarily) with industrialization England, this was sometimes uneasy relationship what he would later name as providing ‘resources hope’. One consequential limitation original work its perspective built semantic examples provided OED give title, Oxford new dictionary principles) supplemented literary studies. suggestion Studies can develop (and has, some degree, already developed) without being centred literature or beholden OED. mean treating less exemplary milestone methodology more unfinished unfinishable whose critically dynamic: other words, move from requires altering methodology. In conclusion speculate about ways which aims keywording could be make conducive ‘useable histories’ counter-narratives, while also pursuing radical contextualism Vološinov Bakhtin.