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The Dictionary People

The unsung heroes who created the Oxford English Dictionary

Sarah Ogilvie

$24.99

Paperback

Forthcoming
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English
Vintage
24 September 2024
"""A history and celebration of the many far-flung volunteers who helped define the English language, word by word.""--Provided by publisher."
By:  
Imprint:   Vintage
Country of Publication:   United Kingdom
Dimensions:   Height: 197mm,  Width: 129mm,  Spine: 26mm
Weight:   271g
ISBN:   9781529922578
ISBN 10:   1529922577
Pages:   384
Publication Date:  
Audience:   General/trade ,  Professional and scholarly ,  College/higher education ,  ELT Advanced ,  Undergraduate
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Forthcoming

Sarah Ogilvie teaches at the University of Oxford, and specializes in language, dictionaries, and technology. As a lexicographer she has been an editor at the Oxford English Dictionary and was Chief Editor of Oxford Dictionaries in Australia. As a technologist she has worked in Silicon Valley at Lab 126, Amazon's innovation lab, where she was part of the team that developed the Kindle. She originally studied computer science and mathematics before taking her doctorate in Linguistics at the University of Oxford, and then taught at Cambridge and Stanford.

Reviews for The Dictionary People: The unsung heroes who created the Oxford English Dictionary

Marvellous… An unmissable, wonderful achievement -- Stephen Fry Proof that not only do our words have extraordinary lives, but so do the people who have documented them for us. A lively, entertaining, and illuminating read. I loved it -- Susie Dent Utterly fascinating, entertaining, astonishing and as clever as a box of monkeys... I am bowled over by Sarah Ogilvie's book and every home should have a copy. I completely love it * Joanna Lumley * Astonishing * Kathryn Hughes, The Sunday Times * Who knew such mysteries lay behind the Oxford English Dictionary? This is a fascinating, unique and original book which uncovers the people behind the words. A jaw-dropping cross-section of society are revealed for the first time in all their complexity * Janina Ramirez, author of Femina * Fascinating * Observer * Exquisitely written ... A lively, funny book full of eccentrics * Jamaica Kincaid * The Dictionary People is a fascinating read for anyone with an interest in dictionaries, social history or just people. Sarah Ogilvie has found a great subject and done it justice * Literary Review * Enthralling and exuberant, Sarah Ogilvie tells the surprising story of the making of the OED. Philologists, fantasists, crackpots, criminals, career spinsters, suffragists, and Australians: here is a wonder-book for word-lovers * Jeanette Winterson * The story of the first complete Oxford English Dictionary…and the hundreds of men and women who were instrumental in its creation… Ogilvie does a marvellous job of bringing them all to life… It’s surprisingly moving: I found myself in tears at the end. I think any lover of words would enjoy this as much as I did * Guardian * I love words and I cherish my OED ... having the background of it explained was fascinating * Val McDermid * The OED is an epic, crowdsourced attempt to pin down slippery, evolving language; this book tells the fascinating story of its eclectic and unsung contributors * Financial Times, *Books of the Year* * Not just a comprehensive description of the dictionary, but also a companion to the Victorian intellectual landscape * Times Literary Supplement * 'An erudite and vivid exploration of the origins of the OED in the first crowdsourcing of contributions from thousands of individuals - including murderers, lunatics and cannibals. Marvellous, witty and wholly original' * Alan Rusbridger * Full of determination and eccentricity ... Ogilvie's enthusiasm ... is infectious, and this book is a delight to read * Booklist *


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