Lost for Words

The Hidden History of the Oxford English Dictionary

By: Lynda Mugglestone

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Hardcover | 10 May 2005 | Edition Number 1

At a Glance

Hardcover
304 Pages

Edition Type
Annotated

Dimensions(cm)
24.2 x 16.4 x 2.0

Hardcover

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The untold story of the complex word battles fought by the creators of the first Oxford English Dictionary.

The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) holds a cherished position in English literary culture. The story behind the creation of what is indisputably the greatest dictionary in the language has become a popular fascination. This book looks at the history of the great first edition of 1928, and at the men (and occasionally women) who distilled words and usages from centuries of English writing and “through an act of intellectual alchemy captured the spirit of a civilization.”

The task of the dictionary was to bear full and impartial witness to the language it recorded. But behind the immaculate typography of the finished text, the proofs tell a very different story. This vast archive, unexamined until now, reveals the arguments and controversies over meanings, definitions, and pronunciation, and which words and senses were acceptable—and which were not.

Lost for Words examinesthe hidden history by which the great dictionary came into being, tracing—through letters and archives—the personal battles involved in charting a constantly changing language. Then as now, lexicographers reveal themselves vulnerable to the prejudices of their own linguistic preferences and to the influence of contemporary social history.

Industry Reviews

"'The OED was one of the great creative enterprises of Victorian England. It is a real tour-de-force to make the words in the dictionary tell their own story.' Nicolas Barker"

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You Can Find This Book In

Non-Fiction History Regional & National History European History British & Irish History Language & Linguistics Linguistics Lexicography Literature, Poetry & Plays History & Criticism of Literature General Literary Studies Dictionaries

Specific Events & Topics in History

The ideal dictionary	p. 1
Palimpsests	p. 37
Lost words	p. 70
Science and the principles of selection	p. 110
'I am not the editor of the English language'	p. 143
Ended but not complete	p. 179
Into the future	p. 209
Table of Contents provided by Blackwell. All Rights Reserved.

Lost for Words

The Hidden History of the Oxford English Dictionary

At a Glance

Hardcover

Industry Reviews

Shipping

How to return your order

Defective items

You Can Find This Book In

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