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'I would like to invite readers to contribute to the development
of the Dictionary by adding to our record of English throughout
the world. Everyone can play a part in recording the history of
the language and helping to enhance the Oxford English Dictionary.'
One hundred and twenty years ago, James Murray, original editor
of the OED, launched an 'Appeal to the English-Speaking and
English-Reading Public of Great Britain, America and the British
Colonies' for words for the Dictionary. The appeal proved that dictionary-making
is an exception to most fields of scholarship; anyone can make a
valuable contribution. From Minnesota to Melbourne, scholars and
readers came to Murray's aid. Without their help, the Dictionary
would never have been published. Since that time, many more people
have made valuable contributions to the Dictionary. They have been
of all ages and from all walks of life (among them writers, teachers,
a stevedoring superintendent, a Nobel laureate, a retired businessman,
a cryptographer, and, perhaps most famously, Dr William C. Minor,
inmate of Broadmoor Asylum). Now, Murray's appeal is being relaunched
to mark one of the most important events of the start of the new
millennium - the creation of a record of the English language unlike
any other.
Lexicographers at Oxford University Press are now engaged upon
the huge task of completely revising the OED by 2010. The
first complete revision in its history, it is projected to cost
£34 million (US$55 million). Oxford has taken a big step towards
that goal by publishing the OED online, which will incorporate at
least 1,000 new and revised entries every quarter. John Simpson:
'There is no longer one English - there are many Englishes. Words
are flooding into the language from all corners of the world. Only
a dictionary the size of the OED can adequately capture the
true richness of the English language throughout its history, and
the developments in world English. Now that the online edition has
been launched, I would be delighted to have a host of new readers
helping us to map the past, the present, and the future of English.'
How to contribute words to the Reading Program
Researching
How do I find examples of new word information?
Contributors are invited to read any text from which quotations
can be cited that provide new information on the English language
- both in traditional book, magazine, or journal form, or from historical
text databases accessible online. New information is available from
almost any source, but texts most likely to yield valuable material
are primary sources as yet unexplored by lexicographers.
Is non-British English acceptable?
Yes. The Dictionary has its head office in Oxford, but covers English
throughout the world. It also has links with a number of national
dictionaries, such as those in Australia, Canada, the Caribbean,
New Zealand, the USA, and South Africa. Information on new words
from anywhere in the world where English is spoken will be considered
by the Dictionary team in the UK; it will also be passed on to the
relevant national dictionary.
Are there any particular words that Dictionary
editors are investigating?
A list of words or phrases currently being prepared for revision
for which documentary evidence is incomplete is issued quarterly,
and incorporated in the Newsletters online.
Are there any words that Dictionary editors
will not consider?
No, any word, slang or dialect, politically correct or incorrect,
is useful as long as it is used by English speakers or writers of
English.
How do readers check whether the material
they are presenting is really new to the Dictionary?
Consult the relevant entry in the second edition of the Oxford
English Dictionary, available in print or on CD-ROM in most
good libraries.
Are records of spoken English acceptable?
No. Although the Dictionary does take account of spoken English,
evidence for the Reading Program must always be from published sources.
What sort of information is required?
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| New Words |
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Oxford leads the field in recording the entry of today's new
words into the language. We need readers' help to find printed
evidence of new words from magazines, newspapers, books, song
lyrics, practical manuals - indeed from any published source.
Slang and dialect words are also collected.
A 'new word from the past' may sound like a contradiction, but
this is a category where volunteers can be especially helpful.
Dictionary editors are particularly keen to receive information
about words from earlier centuries that have so far escaped
inclusion: for example, words from books or manuals from previous
centuries on any profession, trade, craft, or hobby with a specialized
vocabulary, from building techniques to pigeon-fancying. |
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| New Senses, Usage, Spelling, or Pronunciation |
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New senses or usages of an existing word, an unusual spelling,
or evidence of a different pronunciation are all welcomed. |
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| New Etymological and Dating Evidence |
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One of the principal tasks in revising the
OED is describing the history of each word. New information
on how words came into the English language from scholars working
in this area is welcomed. Also, every entry in the Dictionary
includes supporting quotations which build up a picture of a
word's use, ranging from the earliest known example to one illustrating
recent usage, and including intermediate quotations throughout
the centuries. Editors are looking in particular for earlier
(antedating) evidence; and, in some cases, more recent (postdating)
evidence of words than is currently quoted; plus intermediate
(interdating) evidence where large gaps in dating evidence exist.
For a list of words for which lexicographers would particularly
value additional evidence, see the latest Newsletter. |
Presentation of material
How should I present my submission?
Please use the submission form and follow the rules for presentation
it sets out.
Notes on Referencing
Each quotation must be preceded by a precise reference to the source
from which it is taken. Referencing takes many different forms -
far too many to demonstrate in detail. If your quotation is considered
for inclusion in the Dictionary, a lexicographer will need to check
that you have cited it correctly. Please give as full and helpful
a reference as you can.
References should be presented in the following order:
Date, author, title of source, date of edition used, precise location
in text.
| 1851 H. W. LONGFELLOW Golden Legend v. 224 Elsie. What
are these paintings on the walls around us? Henry. The Dance Macaber!
Elsie. What? Henry. The Dance of Death. 1870 C. M . YONGE Caged
Lion ix. 166 It is the Danse Macabre... It was invented as a
warning to those of sinful life. 1938 Oxf. Compan. Mus. 251/1
Danse macabre. The idea of Death as a dancer, or as a fiddling inciter
to the dance, is very ancient. 1966 Listener 17 Nov. 746/3
An Allegretto in G minor - a waltz-like danse macabre - which quotes
the opening of the first cello concerto. 1989 W. ADAMS & J. W.
BROCK Dangerous Pursuits v. xv. 175 Today, however, the danse
macrabre goes on. Resources continue to be diverted from productivity-enhancing
pursuits into nonproductive paper entrepreneurialism. |
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Other Information
What will happen to my submission?
Submissions will be sorted and filed to await consideration by Dictionary
editors drafting or revising words in the relevant section of the alphabet.
How will I know if my quotation has been included
in the Dictionary?
Readers will be able to check whether their quotations have been included
by consulting the online edition of the OED, provided they or their
institution subscribes to the service. Only a small proportion of the
Dictionary has been revised to date, but over 1,000 new and revised entries
will be added each quarter until 2010, when the Dictionary will be fully
revised. The revision is a huge task, and in order to meet tough deadlines
Oxford regrets that it cannot enter into correspondence about individual
submissions.
NOTE: the OED
website contains a submission form. |
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