This book tells the history of the Oxford English Dictionary from its beginnings in the middle of the nineteenth century to the present. The author, uniquely among historians of the OED, is also a practising lexicographer with nearly thirty years' experience of working on the Dictionary. He has drawn on a wide range of sources-including previously unexamined archival material and eyewitness testimony-to create a detailed history of the project. The book explores the cultural background from which the idea of a comprehensive historical dictionary of English emerged, the lengthy struggles to bring this concept to fruition, and the development of the book from the appearance of the first printed fascicle in 1884 to the launching of the Dictionary as an online database in 2000 and beyond. It also examines the evolution of the lexicographers' working methods, and provides much information about the people-many of them remarkable individuals-who have contributed to the project over the last century and a half.

A handy roadmap to the greatest dictionary ever compiled, the Oxford English Dictionary (OED). This lively volume is the first to provide an in-depth account of the structure of the OED. Includes a bibliography, chronology, listing of key facts and figures about the OED, and more. 90 OED extracts.

Beginning Apr. 1895, includes the Proceedings of the East India Association.

Beginning in 1895, includes the Proceedings of the East India Association.

Traces the history of the Oxford English Dictionary from its earliest inception through its long path to completion, describes the process of creating a dictionary, and includes anecdotes about its creators and their work.