A history of the Concise Oxford Dictionary
By: Małgorzata Anna Kamińska
Series: Łódź Studies in language -- Vol. 34
Publisher: Peter Lang Edition
Published: 2014
Place of publication: Frankfurt am Main; New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 342
ISBN-13: 9783631652688; 9783653043709
Subjects: Encyclopedias and dictionaries; History and criticism
Description: This book shows the evolution of the Concise Oxford Dictionary, a famous and innovative dictionary for native speakers of English. It traces changes in the dictionary from 1911 to recent times. By comparing samples from each edition, the author provides insights into the revisions of the dictionary. The analysis sheds light on the editors' policy on various aspects of the dictionary's structure, including definition style, vocabulary selection and sense discrimination. The study shows how the editors abandoned the telegraphic style of definitions and adapted them to the needs of the target users. As the dictionary evolved towards greater user-friendliness, it also aimed at broader vocabulary coverage.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (pages 335-342).