This Day in History:
Oxford Dictionary Debuts February 1, 1884 The first portion, or fascicle, of the
Oxford English Dictionary (OED) is published. The OED is considered the most
comprehensive and accurate dictionary of the English language, providing a detailed chronological history
for every word and phrase. Plans for the dictionary
were conceived by members of
London’s Philological Society in 1857. Estimated as a 10 year project,
it took over 40 years until the
125th fascicle was published in 1928
and the full dictionary was complete. Its 20 volumes weigh over
137 pounds, and would take one
person 120 years to type
all 59 million words. Today, the dictionary’s second edition
is available online to subscribers and
is updated quarterly with over 1,000
new entries and revisions.
Oxford Dictionary Debuts February 1, 1884 The first portion, or fascicle, of the
Oxford English Dictionary (OED) is published. The OED is considered the most
comprehensive and accurate dictionary of the English language, providing a detailed chronological history
for every word and phrase. Plans for the dictionary
were conceived by members of
London’s Philological Society in 1857. Estimated as a 10 year project,
it took over 40 years until the
125th fascicle was published in 1928
and the full dictionary was complete. Its 20 volumes weigh over
137 pounds, and would take one
person 120 years to type
all 59 million words. Today, the dictionary’s second edition
is available online to subscribers and
is updated quarterly with over 1,000
new entries and revisions.
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