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the OED turns 90.
THE SUMMUM BONUM OF DICTIONARIES
by
HOWARD RICHLER
___________________________
Howard
Richler is a Montreal-area word nerd and author of these seven
books on a variety of language themes: Dead Sea Scroll Palindromes,
Take My Words, A Bawdy Language, Global Mother Tongue, Can I
Have a Word With You?, Strange Bedfellows and his most
recent book Wordplay:
Arranged and Deranged Wit ( May 2016, Ronsdale
Press, Vancouver).
What’s four score and ten yet stronger,
healthier and possesses a greater vocabulary than ever? I speak,
of course, about the Oxford English Dictionary (OED). The OED
is the supreme dictionary, not only because it is the biggest,
the best, and the supreme authority. What elevates into a league
of one is its breadth. It is rapacious and devours every word
that has ever existed in English and this makes it the ideal archive
of our language. No other language can boast about having such
a complete tome.
The compilation of the First Edition of the OED began in the
1850s and was completed in 1928. Its naïve editors estimated
then that the project would be finished in approximately ten
years, but alas after fifteen years when editor James Murray
and his colleagues had only reached as far as the word ‘ant,’
they realized it was time to revise their schedule. It was not
surprising that the project was taking longer than anticipated.
Not only are the complexities of the English language daunting,
but like a virus, it never stops evolving. The lexicographic
team had to keep track of new words and new meanings of existing
words at the same time that they were trying to examine the
previous eight centuries of the language’s development.
But finally, the first volume of the OED was completed in 1928
with the final section, (called a fascicle in lexicology-speak)
comprising words from Wise to Wyzen. The original plan in the
1850s called for approximately 6,400 pages in four volumes,
but the completion of the First Edition contained over 400,000
words and phrases in ten volumes.
In 1989, a complete Second Edition was published, consisting
of the original OED amalgamated with the supplementary volumes,
and together with 5,000 completely new entries. In 1993 and
1997, three volumes of Additions to the Second Edition were
published.
In 2000 the OED Online was launched and the computer-based
resources available to the staff who work on the OED has facilitated
the data collection and in particular to record words from some
of the ‘other’ Englishes such as Japanese, Indian
and Singapore English.
The original estimate had the Third Edition being completed
in 2010 and containing approximately 40 volumes but this timetable
proved to be woefully wrong. By 2014, the new estimate for completion
was 2034 and chief editor Michael Proffitt said that is was
running late due to “information overload” as a
plethora of data kept pouring in from computer sources.
Newly revised entries are published online every three months,
giving the OED a modern, relevant tone that represents the myriad
flavours of English available on the planet.
Thus does the OED proceed judiciously, amassing, modifying,
defining, and it proceeds truly at ‘a snail’s-pace’
– a phrase first employed in the fifteenth century. But
I assure you that over the last eighteen years there have been
dramatic changes and additions to our language. The OED provides
endless proof of how the ‘other Englishes,’ the
‘newer Englishes’ are changing and enhancing the
language. Truth be told, there are now far more people who speak
English as a second language than as their first one and therefore
the vocabulary growth comes largely from the exotic locales
where second language speakers dwell.
The increase in data is mind-boggling. Each editor adds new
words every month and this results in about 4000 new words added
per year, so since publishing online in 2000, over 75,000 words
have been added to our lexicon.
Ironically, the digital era that allows dictionaries to delve
deeper into our language is also the greatest threat to dictionaries,
particularly those in print. For many people, the immediate
answers provided by Google or Wikipedia make using a printed
dictionary anachronistic. But for people who want to look beyond
the surface of words, there is no substitute to the OED Online.
Demographics show that the ‘new Englishes’ are becoming
more important and only the OED Online is dedicated to recording
words from wherever English is spoken. Also, whereas online
dictionaries provide definitions of words, only the OED gives
all the senses of a word. Tale the word 'run.' The OED includes
82 distinct senses of the words as a verb and 51 senses as a
noun. And because revisions and additions are added every three
months, this allows for always being au courant with language
developments.
To give readers a sense of the new words inundating our language,
I have made a list of words with accompanied definitions from
A to Z that the OED has added since it went online in 2000.
For each letter, I have included one word from what might be
thought of as traditional English (American, Canadian, Australian,
United Kingdom & Ireland) and one from the ‘new Englishes’
(Malaysian, Caribbean, South African Englishes etc.) I have
also indicated in brackets when the word was added to our lexicon:
App (2001) -- A piece of software designed to
perform specific functions. (Shortened form of application).
Angmoh ( 2016) -- In Singapore English, a term
for light-skinned people.
Bogart (2005) -- To force, coerce or bully.
It can also mean to hog something and often refers to holding
a joint dangling between your lips (à la Humphrey Bogart)
rather than passing it around.
Barangay (2015) -- In Philippines English, a
village or suburb.
Cissexual (2015) -- Designates a person whose
sense of personal identification and gender corresponds to his
or hers at birth.
Cosplay (2008) -- Originally in Japan it referred
to dressing up in costume as character from anime and manga;
now extended to characters from video games.
Digerati (2003) -- Refers to people with proficient
involvement or exceptional knowledge of information technology.
Dai pai dong ( 2016) -- In Hong Kong, a traditional
licensed street stall selling cooked food at low prices.
Enviropig (2015) -- A genetically modified variety
of pig that is able to digest phytic acid, producing manure
with a reduced phosphorus content and hence less environmental
impact.
Eve-teasing (2005) -- In India, sexual harassment
of a woman, verbal or physical, by a man in a public place.
Femcee( 2012) -- Female master of ceremonies.
Funana (2017) -- In Cape Verde Islands, dance
music accompanied with an accordion and ferrinho.
Gaydar (2003) -- Ability attributed especially
to gay people to identify homosexual people.
Ghagra (2006) -- In parts of India, especially
Rajasthan: a long full skirt or petticoat with a drawstring
waist and often ornamented with bells.
Hoser (2006) -- In Canadian English, a stupid,
unsophisticated loutish person.
Hongbao (2016) -- A traditional Chinese good
luck gift of money.
Iron woman( 2013) -- A woman who is hardy, robust,
or capable of great endurance; now specifically a powerful female
athlete, especially one who excels in endurance events.
Inukshuk (2015) -- A structure of rough stones
stacked in the form of a human figure, traditionally used by
the Inuit as a landmark or commemorative sign, or to drive caribou
toward hunters.
Junkball (2016) -- In baseball, a pitch that
relies on movement rather than speed, such as a breaking ball
or knuckleball.
Juku (2004) -- In Japan, an educational system
based on a European and U.S. model of progressive education,
which works within the framework of private schools and provides
a variety of practical and vocational skills taught in addition
to a Western-style core curriculum.
Krump (2016) -- A form of street dance that
originated in Los Angeles that is usually performed to hip hop
music.
Khimar (2010) -- A head covering or veil worn
in public by some Muslim women, specifically one of a type covering
the head, neck, and shoulders.
Listicle (2006) -- A journalistic article or
other piece of writing, presented wholly or partly in the form
of a lists. This term is often used in a pejorative manner.
Lepak (2016) -- In Malaysian and Singapore English,
to loiter aimlessly or idly; to loaf, relax, hang out.
Moobs (2006) -- Unusually prominent breasts
on a man.
Matutu (2001) -- In Kenya, an unlicensed taxi
or minibus.
Nobbins (2003) -- British slang for money.
Nam Prik (2003) -- A paste or sauce made with
chilli and shrimp, widely used in Thai cookery as a condiment
or dipping sauce.
Oxycontin (2005) -- Proprietary name of the
analgesic drug oxycodone.
Oyakata (2005) -- In Japan: a master, a boss;
and in sumo wrestling, it refers to the master of a wrestling
stable.
Phat (2001) -- Especially among Afro-Americans,
it refers to a woman who is sexy and attractive and in music
it denotes excellence.
Prepone (2001) -- In Indian English, to bring
forward to an earlier time; the opposite of postpone.
Queercore (2003) -- A type of aggressive rock
music that was derived from punk music and characterized by
lyrics that deal with homosexual themes and issues.
Qawwali (2002) -- A style of Muslim devotional
music, now associated particularly with Sufis in Pakistan, characterized
by a fervent, often improvisatory vocal delivery, accompanied
on drums and harmonium.
Retweet (2015) -- OnTwitter, an act or instance
of posting a message, image, link etc., originally posted by
another user. (Tweet, {not the bird sense} was added in 2013).
Roko (2010) -- In India, a protest in which
road or rail traffic is disrupted by a large group of demonstrators.
Sext (2015) -- A sexually explicit or suggestive
message or image sent electronically, typically using a mobile
phone.(Not to be confused this the nicer sext: One of the daily
offices, or canonical hours of prayer and worship, of the Western
Church, traditionally said (or chanted) at the sixth hour of
the day (about midday).
Sabo (2016) -- In Singapore English, to harm,
inconvenience, make trouble. Shortened form of sabotage.
Twerk (2015) -- A sexually provocative dance
involving thrusting movement of the butt and hips in a low squatting
position.
Teh tarik (2016)-- In Malaysian English and
Singapore English, sweet tea with milk, prepared by pouring
the liquid back and forth repeatedly between two containers
so as to produce a thick foam on top.
Unsub (2016) -- In law enforcement: a person
of unknown identity who is the subject of a criminal investigation.
Udyog (2017)-- In Indian English, a company
or commercial enterprise, especially one involved in manufacturing.
Vaping (2015) -- The action or practice of inhaling
and exhaling the vapour produced by an electronic cigarette
or similar device.
Videshi (2007) -- In India: foreign; coming
from a country other than India.
Weblog (2003) -- A file containing a detailed
record of each request received by a web server, frequently
recording data that allows a variety of different aspects of
the web traffic reaching that server to be analysed. Before
long, this term was shortened to blog.
Wakizashi (2007) -- A type of samurai sword.
Xeriscape (2008) -- To landscape an area in
such a way as to minimize its need for irrigation, especially
by using plants and features suited to a dry climate.
Xoloitzcuintli (2012) -- The Mexican hairless
dog. (Often shortened to xolo).
Yada yada (2006) -- Indicating, usually dismissively,
that further details are predictable or evident from what has
preceded.
Yumcha (2016)-- In Chinese contexts: a meal
eaten in the morning or early afternoon, typically consisting
of dim sum and hot tea.
Zeppelining (2014) -- Moving in a manner of a Zeppelin(type
of airship); to soar.
Zama zama (2015)-- In South Africa, a person
who works illegally in abandoned mine-shafts in order to retrieve
metals, minerals, etc.
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