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Also by Sarah Ogilvie:

Words Of The World, February 2013
Hardcover / e-Book

Words Of The World
Sarah Ogilvie

A Global History of the Oxford English Dictionary

Cambridge University Press
February 2013
On Sale: January 31, 2013
256 pages
ISBN: 1107021839
EAN: 9781107021839
Kindle: B00A8ICKQQ
Hardcover / e-Book
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Non-Fiction

Most people think of the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) as a distinctly British product. Begun in England 150 years ago, it took more than 60 years to complete and, when it was finally finished in 1928, the British prime minister heralded it as a 'national treasure.' It maintained this image throughout the twentieth century, and in 2006 the English public voted it an 'Icon of England', alongside Marmite, Buckingham Palace, and the bowler hat. But this book shows that the dictionary is not as 'British' as we all thought. The linguist and lexicographer, Sarah Ogilvie, combines her insider knowledge and experience with impeccable research to show that the OED is in fact an international product in both its content and its making. She examines the policies and practices of the various editors, applies qualitative and quantitative analysis, and finds new OED archival materials in the form of letters, reports, and proofs. She demonstrates that the OED, in its use of readers from all over the world and its coverage of World English, is in fact a global text.

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