Dictionaries: A Very Short Introduction

Description

Very Short Introductions have proven to be extremely popular with general readers, as well as undergraduates and their lecturers.

Do, or should, dictionaries control language? How do they treat language change, both now and in the past? Which words do dictionaries leave out – and on what grounds?

Dictionaries are far more than works which list the words and meanings of a language. In this Very Short Introduction Lynda Mugglestone shows that all dictionaries are partial and all are selective. They are human products, reflecting the dominant social and cultural assumptions of the time in which they were written.

Dictionaries exist then not only as works which seek to document language, but also as cultural documents that are connected to the world in which they were produced. Exploring common beliefs about dictionaries, providing glimpses of behind the scenes dictionary makers at work, and confronting the problems of how a word is to be defined, Mugglestone shows that dictionaries are always, and inevitably, more than the crafting of a simple list of words. Concluding with a look at the range of modern dictionaries and transformations, she reveals the controversial nature of the debates about communication and language, showing that only in written and spoken English does the language of dictionaries exist in full.

Key Features

• Examines the history from their origins to modern day online and electronic dictionaries
• Explores both the myths and reality about dictionaries
• Includes examples comparing dictionary entries in different volumes through time and across nations
• Considers the idea that dictionaries are cultural documents that are connected to the world in which they were produced
• Part of the bestselling Very Short Introductions series – over three million copies sold worldwide

Table of Contents

1. Preface
2. Identity
3. History
4. Craft
5. Authority
6. Truth
7. Last words

About the Series

Oxford’s Very Short Introductions series offers concise and original introductions to a wide range of subjects – from Public Health to Buddhist Ethics, Soft Matter to Classics, and Art History to Globalization. Each volume provides an authoritative and engaging assessment of a concept, field, or body of work, drawing out the central ideas, themes, and approaches. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, new insights, and enthusiasm to make often challenging topics highly readable to develop your core knowledge. With over 700 titles and many more in development, as well as regularly updated new editions, the series is constantly evolving to reflect a contemporary readership. Whatever your area of study, whatever the topic that fascinates you, the series is an indispensable and accessible guide that will enrich your understanding.

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Author Biography

Lynda Mugglestone, Professor of the History of English, Pembroke College, University of Oxford

Lynda Mugglestone has written widely on a range of aspects of language, culture, and the history of dictionaries. While two books Lost for Words: The Hidden History of the OED Environmental economics ography and the OED: Pioneers in the Untrodden Forest (OUP, 2001; 2003) have focussed on the Oxford English Dictionary, a range of articles and chapters in other books have examined the history of lexicography outside this period, as well as the complex issues generated by taboo labelling, or the art of definition. Professor Mugglestone has also edited the Oxford History of English.