A Guide to the Oxford English Dictionary [Hardcover]

Donna Lee Berg (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0198691793 | ISBN-13: 978-0198691792 | Publication Date: August 26, 1993 | Edition: 2nd

In a recent review of the Oxford English Dictionary on CD-ROM, Library Journal called the accompanying booklet, a brief guide to the OED, a "work of art." Now, this work of art has been expanded and enhanced to a full-length book, A Guide to the Oxford English Dictionary. Here Donna Lee Berg has provided a fascinating source of general information about the OED as well as a detailed account of the conventions and organization of the dictionary text, specially designed to enhance the reader's enjoyment and understanding of this incomparable work. This lively volume is the first to provide an in-depth account of the structure of the OED: it gives an analysis of the components of a typical entry, and covers special entries, such as acronyms, abbreviations, and proper names. In addition, a fascinating A-Z companion section covers grammatical terms, languages, the history of the Dictionary, the individuals who have shaped it, and a host of other topics. Also included are a bibliography, a chronology of the OED, and a listing of key facts and figures about the Dictionary. The Guide will be an invaluable handbook for everyone who relies on the OED, a roadmap to the greatest dictionary ever compiled.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Provides a detailed explanation of the conventions and organization of the dictionary, an analysis of components of a typical entry, a brief history of the set and the people who shaped it, a chronology, and key facts and figures."--Booklist

"This is a clear and precise guide, a handbook to a reference book, a 'learner' to a great well of knowledge, or, using a new phase, recently coined, 'a good knowledge analyzer.'"--The Library Quarterly

About the Author

Donna Lee Berg is former librarian at the University of Waterloo Centre for the New OED.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; 2nd edition (August 26, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0198691793
• ISBN-13: 978-0198691792
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #666,322 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #12 in Books > Education & Reference > Dictionaries & Thesauruses > Lexicography

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The only way to get everything out of your OED, December 13, 2008

By 

Eric C. Sedensky "late-to-jazz musician" (Madison, AL, US) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Guide to the Oxford English Dictionary (Hardcover)

If you bought a 20-volume dictionary, you'd expect you'd need a guidebook, wouldn't you? Well, this is it. This book contains clear explanations of all of the conventions used in the Oxford English Dictionary. There are plenty of examples to illustrate all the intricacies that go into documenting the language, and each example is carefully chosen to best show-off the dictionary and acquaint the casual reader/peruser thereof. The second half of the book is a an "A-Z Companion" to the OED, which is interesting reading in and of itself. It took me a while to find a copy of this out-of-print book at a reasonable price, but it was well worth the wait and it improves the cost performance of my dictionary exponentially. If you have the big OED, you need this small OED guide.

5.0 out of 5 stars a book for the serious OED enthusiast, December 17, 2011

By 

S. Jacobs - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Guide to the Oxford English Dictionary (Hardcover)

For anyone who as cracked the covers of the OED, decipering the entries can be a daunting prospect. This slim work helps a little in the process. Much of what is in the book is to be found within the OED itself, but without the task of ferreting it out. This is not a real history of the OED, although it does include some wonderful antecodes, so don't expect it to be a page-turner. The best place for this book is next to the OED on the library shelf.