The Oxford English dictionary (OED) began life as the New English dictionary at the end of a long, sometimes painful gestation period that started in 1859. The 500,000-word dictionary was finally published by the Oxford University Press (OUP) in 1928. Honors were bestowed, and the editors and lexicographers breathed a sigh of relief, even while worrying about their future employment, Their work was done. But was it? By the time of its publication, even this monumental, thoroughly researched record of the English language was incomplete. As Charlotte Brewer points out, "language does not wait on lexicographers" (1). New words were entering the language, and old words were being used in new ways. While Brewer briefly covers the history of the OED from its inception through its 1928 appearance, in Treasure-house of the language: The living OED, she uses that history as a springboard from which to tell the rest of the story. "This book examines how the OED has tackled the need to revise and update itself (2).
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