The Dictionary People - The unsung heroes who created the Oxford English Dictionary (Paperback)

What do three murderers, Karl Marx's daughter and a vegetarian vicar have in common? They all helped create the Oxford English Dictionary. The Oxford English Dictionary has long been associated with elite institutions and Victorian men; its longest-serving editor, James Murray, devoted 36 years to the project, as far as the letter T. But the Dictionary didn't just belong to the experts; it relied on contributions from members of the public. By the time it was finished in 1928 its 414,825 entries had been crowdsourced from a surprising and diverse group of people, from archaeologists and astronomers to murderers, naturists, novelists, pornographers, queer couples, suffragists, vicars and vegetarians. Lexicographer Sarah Ogilvie dives deep into previously untapped archives to tell a people's history of the OED. She traces the lives of thousands of contributors who defined the English language, from the eccentric autodidacts to the family groups who made word-collection their passion. With generosity and brio, Ogilvie reveals, for the first time, the full story of the making of one of the most famous books in the world - and celebrates to sparkling effect the extraordinary efforts of the Dictionary People.

General

Imprint:	Chatto and Windus
Country of origin:	United Kingdom
Release date:	September 2023
Authors:	Sarah Ogilvie
Dimensions:	216 x 153 x 40mm (L x W x T)
Format:	Paperback - Trade
Pages:	368
ISBN-13:	978-1-78474-494-6
Categories:	Books > Language & Literature > Literature: history & criticism > General Books > Language & Literature > Biography & autobiography > Literary Books > Language & Literature > Language & linguistics > Semantics (meaning) > Pragmatics Books > Language & Literature > Literary & linguistic reference works > Dictionaries > General Books > Humanities > History > History of specific subjects > Social & cultural history Books > History > History of specific subjects > Social & cultural history Books > Biography > Literary Books > Academic & Education > Dictionaries > Oxford
LSN:	1-78474-494-8
Barcode:	9781784744946

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