| Summary: The Oxford English Dictionary is considered by many to be the original English dictionary. The Oxford Dictionary, also known as the OED, originally was published in 125 parts, and a third edition is currently being prepared. |
The Oxford English Dictionary is considered by many to be the grandfather of English dictionaries. Although the Oxford Dictionary is presently published by the University of Oxford Press, this was not originally the case.
The Oxford English Dictionary was originally conceived in the mid-1800s by Richard Trench, Frederick Furnivall, and Herbert Coleridge, all of the British Philological Society. Believing that contemporary dictionaries were not all that they could be, they decided to create a list of all of the words which were not to be found in existing dictionaries. However, in the course of their project, they came to believe that dictionaries were generally deficient in many ways beyond just omitting certain words.
As a result of their findings, it was proposed that a completely new dictionary be compiled, and the Philological Society agreed to compile a A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles.
While all three of the original group were keen to steer their project forward, Richard Trench had taken to a career with the clergy, and was unable to devote the time necessary. Herbert Coleridge thus became the New English Dictionary’s first editor. However before the book could go to press, Coleridge succumbed to tuberculosis at the young age of 31, and thus it fell to Frederick Furnivall to see the project through to completion.
Unfortunately the new dictionary languished under Furnivall’s care, and there it may have stayed, had it not been for fellow Philological Society member James Murray stepping forward and agreeing to take over the project.
In 1879 a deal was struck following negotiations which included, among others, both Furnivall and Murray, and the University of Oxford agreed to publish the new dictionary, with Murray as the editor.
The very first edition, which in fact was only the first part of the dictionary, was published in 1884 with the unlikely and cumbersome title of A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles; Founded Mainly on the Materials Collected by The Philological Society. The dictionary continued to be published in parts - 125 in all, and it wasn’t until 1928 that the entire collection of parts, bound as a whole, was published. Prior to that publication, it had been agreed that the name would be changed to the Oxford English Dictionary, it has been known as the Oxford English Dictionary, or just OED, ever since.
In 1989 a much revised and updated edition was published, which became known as OED2. An OED3 is now in the works.
Recommended reading:
Email the link for this page to a friend!
