The Evolution of Dictionaries

There are few books in the world that most people have heard of. There are even fewer so recognizable that are 500,000 words long.

That's right, we're talking about the dictionary.

The Oxford English Dictionary is the longest English variant of its kind in the world. But many of those who made significant contributions to its creation went unknown for years — until now. These included hundreds of women, people without formal educations, and patients in mental institutions.

In other words, the people who helped make the OED were as diverse as the words in it. We discuss how the Oxford English Dictionary came to be and how our relationship to the dictionary has changed.

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