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KF5JRV > TODAY 01.02.19 14:43l 47 Lines 2621 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
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Subj: Today in History - Feb 01
Path: IW8PGT<CX2SA<N3HYM<NS2B<AB0AF<KF5JRV
Sent: 190201/1234Z 30440@KF5JRV.#NWAR.AR.USA.NA BPQ6.0.18
On this day in 1884, the first portion, or fascicle, of the Oxford
English Dictionary (OED), considered the most comprehensive and accurate
dictionary of the English language, is published. Today, the OED is the
definitive authority on the meaning, pronunciation and history of over
half a million words, past and present
Plans for the dictionary began in 1857 when members of London’s
Philological Society, who believed there were no up-to-date, error-free
English dictionaries available, decided to produce one that would cover
all vocabulary from the Anglo-Saxon period (1150 A.D.) to the present.
Conceived of as a four-volume, 6,400-page work, it was estimated the
project would take 10 years to finish. In fact, it took over 40 years
until the 125th and final fascicle was published in April 1928 and the
full dictionary was complete–at over 400,000 words and phrases in 10
volumes–and published under the title A New English Dictionary on
Historical Principles.
Unlike most English dictionaries, which only list present-day common
meanings, the OED provides a detailed chronological history for every
word and phrase, citing quotations from a wide range of sources,
including classic literature and cookbooks. The OED is famous for its
lengthy cross-references and etymologies. The verb “setö merits the
OED’s longest entry, at approximately 60,000 words and detailing over
430 uses.No sooner was the OED finished than editors began updating it.
A supplement, containing new entries and revisions, was published in
1933 and the original dictionary was reprinted in 12 volumes and
officially renamed the Oxford English Dictionary.Between 1972 and 1986,
an updated 4-volume supplement was published, with new terms from the
continually evolving English language plus more words and phrases from
North America, Australia, the Caribbean, New Zealand, South Africa and
South Asia.In 1984, Oxford University Press embarked on a five-year,
multi-million-dollar project to create an electronic version of the
dictionary. The effort required 120 people just to type the pages from
the print edition and 50 proofreaders to check their work. In 1992, a
CD-ROM version of the dictionary was released, making it much easier to
search and retrieve information.Today, the dictionary’s second edition
is available online to subscribers and is updated quarterly with over
1,000 new entries and revisions. At a whopping 20 volumes weighing over
137 pounds, it would reportedly take one person 120 years to type all 59
million words in the OED.
73 de Scott KF5JRV
Pmail: KF5JRV@KF5JRV.#NWAR.AR.USA.NA
email: KF5JRV@ICLOUD.COM
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