The history of dictionaries certainly goes back to the 8th century, when the custom of
making collections of glosses grew up. These collections, called glossarium or glossary, were
a great help to students, as they were also a sort of dictionary. In the 10th century, Abbot
Ælfric produced a Latin grammar book, including a short Latin-English dictionary - the first
of its kind. In 1440 Galfridus Grammaticus produced the first English-Latin dictionary which
was printed in 1499 by Pynson and bore the title Promptorium parvulorum sive clericorum.
Until the 16th century, the emphasis of dictionaries lay on translating foreign words into
English. Apparently, there was no need for an English-English dictionary, i.e. a dictionary
which described English words to English people. In that time a lot of foreign words, mostly
Latin ones, made their way into ‘standard’ English, which at first caused no debate but then
was criticised by language purists. According to them English was in danger of being taken
over by foreign languages and needed special support. This idea was the beginning of
English-English dictionaries.
In 1604 Robert Cawdry brought out his Table Alphabetical. About three thousand ‘hard’
words which had become common in English were listed and explained. Henry Cockeram
produced the first work with the title The English Dictionary in 1623. Like other dictionaries
of that time, it primarily dealt with ‘difficult’ English words. A polyglot dictionary of eleven
languages was published in 1617 by John Minsheu. The Ductor in Linguas was the most
monumental dictionary in the 17th century and for the first time, etymology was given some
attention. In 1674 John Ray produced a dictionary which dealt with dialect words. It was an
unexpected success and people all over the country began looking for additional local terms
and sent them to Ray, who brought out a second and enlarged edition of this dictionary in
1691. John Ray can be regarded as the “remote originator of the English Dialect Society”
(Mathews 1966, p. 26).
Until then, dictionaries followed the line of old glossaries and only dealt with terms which
were not common or rather unusual in the English language. This changed in the 18th century
when the first attempts to publish dictionaries containing all English words were made. In
1702 John Kersey published A New English Dictionary; or, a complete collection of the most
proper and significant words, commonly used in the language... [...]
Table of Contents
Introduction
The history of the NED
The making of the NED
Searching for quotations
Selection of word entries
The ordering of entries
The supplements
Supplement I
Supplement II
The OED II
The making of the Second Edition of the OED
Differences between the NED and the OED II
The OED III
The electronic OED
Summary
Objectives and Topics
This paper examines the historical development of the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), tracing its evolution from the initial 19th-century project of the Philological Society to its modern digital iterations. The central focus lies on the lexicographical challenges of creating a comprehensive historical record of the English language, the shifting editorial methodologies across different editions, and the transition from print-based to electronic compilation.
- The historical origin and early compilation process of the New English Dictionary (NED).
- The evolution of editorial standards and the inclusion of supplements.
- Methodological advancements in the creation of the OED II and the subsequent OED III.
- The impact of computer-aided lexicography and electronic distribution.
- The perpetual challenge of capturing a dynamic and ever-evolving language.
Excerpt from the Book
Selection of word entries
The next step was to select the words which should find their way into the dictionary. The NED should consist of only English words but it should theoretically, be a complete list of all English words from all ages in order to be a trustworthy and useful reference. It is obvious that this was not possible because of the permanent changing of a living language. A language like English has not a fixed number of words so there can be no defining line which separates the English words from the others. Whereas the English language has no definite boundary a dictionary has a definite limit, and a selection had to be made. It was the aim of Murray to “include all the ‘common words’ of literature and conversation, and such of the scientific, technical, slang, dialectal, and foreign words as are passing into common use ...” (NED 1884, vol. I, p. vii). Murray was aware that the selection he had made was rather an arbitrary one and that a lot of words were omitted which exposed the dictionary to criticism. For example, Murray was rather willing to include a scientific or philosophical word than a word out of the area of slang or cant.
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: Provides an overview of the history of dictionary making, from early glossaries to the emergence of standardized English lexicography in the 18th and 19th centuries.
The history of the NED: Chronicles the founding of the Philological Society's project in 1857 and the initial efforts to compile a new, historical dictionary.
The making of the NED: Details the practical methodologies used for gathering quotations, selecting entries, and organizing the dictionary structure.
The supplements: Discusses the necessity and editorial process of publishing supplements to maintain the historical relevance of the original dictionary work.
The OED II: Examines the technological transition and collaborative efforts involved in merging the original dictionary with its supplements into the Second Edition.
Differences between the NED and the OED II: Outlines the major revisions, including the use of IPA and updated spellings, that distinguish the second edition from the first.
The OED III: Explores the ongoing efforts to revise and update the dictionary using modern electronic sources and databases.
The electronic OED: Reviews the move toward digital formats like CD-ROM and the launch of OED Online to facilitate faster updates.
Summary: Concludes by reflecting on the inherent impossibility of capturing the entirety of a living language and the continuous nature of lexicographical work.
Keywords
Oxford English Dictionary, NED, Lexicography, Historical dictionary, Etymology, Quotations, Philological Society, James Murray, Electronic dictionary, Language standardisation, OED II, OED III, Supplement, Vocabulary, Linguistic evolution
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this paper?
The paper provides a comprehensive historical overview of the development, editing, and evolution of the Oxford English Dictionary, from the NED to the modern OED Online.
What are the central thematic fields covered?
Key themes include lexicographical methodology, the history of word collection, editorial challenges, the integration of new technologies, and the effort to keep a dictionary current with a living language.
What is the main goal or research question?
The work aims to explain how the OED was conceptualized and maintained over time, illustrating the shift from manual, slip-based collection to modern digital lexicography.
Which scientific methods are analyzed in the text?
The paper analyzes historical lexicographical techniques, specifically the collection of quotations, the categorization of words, and the editorial processes applied to reconcile historical editions with contemporary language usage.
What does the main body of the work cover?
It covers the history of dictionary precursors, the specific history of the NED, editorial criteria, the creation of supplements, the transition to the OED II and III, and the implementation of electronic publishing.
Which keywords characterize this work?
The work is characterized by terms such as lexicography, OED, historical linguistics, etymology, and digital dictionary revision.
Why did the original editors have difficulty with scientific and technical terms?
Rapid advancements in scientific fields created a massive influx of neologisms, making it difficult for lexicographers to define these terms in a way that remained comprehensible to the educated layman.
How did computers change the editorial process for the second edition of the OED?
Computers allowed for the efficient merging of the original NED with its supplements, the instant revision of entries, and the easier management of cross-references, significantly reducing the labor involved in printing.
- Quote paper
- Thomas Vetsch (Author), 2001, The History of the Oxford English Dictionary, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/17160
