The Dictionary People

The Unsung Heroes Who Created the Oxford English Dictionary

De: Sarah Ogilvie

Narrado por: Joan Walker, Sarah Ogilvie

Duración: 11 h y 8 m

Resumen del Editor

Brought to you by Penguin.

What do three murderers, Karl Marx's daughter and a vegetarian vicar have in common?

They all helped create the Oxford English Dictionary.

The Oxford English Dictionary has long been associated with elite institutions and Victorian men; its longest-serving editor, James Murray, devoted 36 years to the project, as far as the letter T. But the Dictionary didn't just belong to the experts; it relied on contributions from members of the public. By the time it was finished in 1928 its 414,825 entries had been crowdsourced from a surprising and diverse group of people, from archaeologists and astronomers to murderers, naturists, novelists, pornographers, queer couples, suffragists, vicars and vegetarians.

Lexicographer Sarah Ogilvie dives deep into previously untapped archives to tell a people's history of the OED. She traces the lives of thousands of contributors who defined the English language, from the eccentric autodidacts to the family groups who made word-collection their passion. With generosity and brio, Ogilvie reveals, for the first time, the full story of the making of one of the most famous books in the world - and celebrates to sparkling effect the extraordinary efforts of the Dictionary People.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2023 Sarah Ogilvie (P)2023 Penguin Audio

An interesting, big-picture story

I went in with so much expectations for this book and was pleased/disappointed in unexpected ways.

I enjoyed reading about the broad, diverse people who contributed, some with almost a sense of public service, and the collective excitement in participating in such a big project. I particularly enjoyed the stories of autodidacts, and upper class women with no meaningful outlets for their education. Influenced by the novels of some of the individuals, however, I went in expecting more depth, and was disappointed with the short, dictionary-entry style chapters.

As I New Zealander, I wished the reader took an hour, half an hour, to learn the pronunciation of Maori words. It was so painful to the ears, hinting at the colonial view of the outposts that may have existed at the time. Which, I think, is contrary to the Australian author's intent.

One thing is for sure; this book is a terrific source for writers looking for interesting lives to mine.