Shorter Oxford English Dictionary On Historical Principles by Angus Stevenson


Shorter Oxford English Dictionary On Historical Principles
Title : Shorter Oxford English Dictionary On Historical Principles
Author :
Rating :
ISBN : 0199206872
ISBN-10 : 9780199206872
Language : English
Format Type : Hardcover
Number of Pages : 3742
Publication : First published January 1, 1933

From the beginning, the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary was intended to be an abridgement of the full Oxford English Dictionary. The first editor, William Little, was appointed in 1902. He worked on it until his death in 1922, after which the dictionary was completed by H. W. Fowler, Jessie Coulson, and C. T. Onions. The First Edition was published in 1933, in two volumes. The Second Edition, published in 1936, contained about 3,000 revisions and additions. The Third Edition (1944) contained an appendix of addenda and corrigenda, and this edition was reprinted several times with corrections and additions, the most significant being in 1973, with enlarged addenda (now running to over 70 pages) and a major revision of all the etymologies. The New Shorter was prepared under the editorship of Lesley Brown 1980-1993. It was the first complete revision of the dictionary, being in fact not so much an overhaul of the existing text as a reabridgement of the OED and its Supplements. The Fifth Edition was published in 2002, and reverted to the name Shorter Oxford English Dictionary to emphasize the link between this 2-volume dictionary and the original 20-volume OED. The Sixth Edition of the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary provides a complete update of this unique reference work. Based on the 20-volume Oxford English Dictionary, the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary contains an incredible one-third of the coverage of the Oxford English Dictionary, is just one-tenth of the size, and includes all words in current English from 1700 to the present day, plus the vocabulary of Shakespeare, the Bible and other major works in English from before 1700. The new edition, with a new introductory essay by language expert David Crystal on the History of English, includes 2,500 new words and senses, plus thousands of antedatings of existing words, drawing on the huge ongoing research project for the Oxford English Dictionary and the wealth of information on language in use provided by the Oxford English Corpus. In addition, the work includes many new quotations from recent authors, a refreshed design, and a complete review of spelling forms and defining vocabulary, making it the most authoritative reference work available for both modern and historical English. For scholars and everyone with a serious interest in the English language, the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary is an unrivalled resource, providing a unique description of the historical development of the language together with excellent coverage of current English. The Sixth Edition showcases the best of the traditional strengths of the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary, while bringing it up to date in its scholarship and research, in the design and layout, and in its treatment of the changing face of English.

Shorter Oxford English Dictionary On Historical Principles Reviews

  • Wile

    Yes. I am a writer. I love my OED.

  • Jessica Cooper

    Title: Trumble, W., Siefring, J., & Bailey, C. (2007). The shorter Oxford English dictionary (6th ed.) (2 vols.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

    Reviewer: Jessica L. Cooper

    Type: Dictionary

    Call Number: REF 423

    Brief Description: This etymological dictionary traces the meanings of words in the English language throughout history. It is the abridged version of the massive, multi-volume Oxford English Dictionary.

    Cost: $175.00

    Review Citation: Bemis, M. (2007). [Review of The shorter Oxford English dictionary]. Library Journal. Retrieved from
    http://www.libraryjournal.com/article...

    Relevance and Relationship: This text gives the current meanings of terms as well as their meanings throughout history allowing students who are reading older books, essays, poems, and plays to find the correct meaning of terms in context. As the library does not have an etymological dictionary, this would be a valuable resource for readers studying historical works or literary classics. It can also be a fun resource for students wanting to investigate more “hip” terms that are new to the language. This two volume work is a bit pricey but is worth it as there is nothing comparable to this work in the school’s library.

    Purpose: While this is an abridged version, the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary still contains a plethora of terms for study, and each term is given considerable treatment. Over half a million words and over 800,000 example quotes from over 7000 authors are included in the two volumes. It is a valuable resource for historical and literary studies.

    Validity: The complete version of the Oxford English Dictionary is a very reputable source used and praised by the academic community. This shorter version has been hailed as a valuable resource for smaller libraries. The Shorter OED received glowing reviews from Publisher’s Weekly, Library Journal, Booklist, and Choice. As the need for this type of dictionary illustrates, terms do change over time; however, since students will mostly be using this to aid their understanding of more archaic words, this new edition should not need to be replaced for several years. However, it should be noted that this new edition has added a great deal of new terms that have appeared in our language. Terms included must have five examples in five different printed sources over five years.

    Format: The dictionary is in print and is in two volumes. This version is easier to read than past version, using a better font and page layout including increased white space. Examples of usage are placed in tinted boxes.

    Arrangement and Presentation: A detailed guide for using the dictionary is provided in the introduction. Words are listed alphabetically and the meanings for each word are listed chronologically. Examples of usage are provided for each term.

    Diversity: This dictionary will be helpful for students researching documents and analyzing literature but also for ESL students who need more to understand word connotations than can be found in regular dictionaries. Reluctant readers may also be interested to browse for new words included, such as “d’oh”—popularized by infamous cartoon character Homer Simpson.

  • Lydia St Giles

    This dictionary doesn't need any review from me. It is a treasure: clarifying meanings, usage, pronunciation and spellings. A dangerous distraction as you open a page at random and get caught in the web of words.

  • Graham Smith

    I particularly liked the chapter that covered the letter N