Introduction to the
Oxford English Dictionary
Spartanburg Community College Library
The OED
what it looks like:
The OED - what it is:
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Authoritative 20 volume work on the evolution of the
English language- from 1150 a.d. to modern times
Gives history, meaning and pronunciation of words
Gives examples of words used in context, from the
first known recorded occurrence to the present day
Gives definitions of over half a million words
Available in your library’s reference section
STC Library call number: PE1625 .O87 1989
The OED- why it is important:
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Words become outdated or obsolete- “fireplug,”
“icebox”
Words end up with multiple meanings over
time– “mouse”
Meaning of words change- “gay”
Words mean different things in different areas
of the world. For example……
Waltzing Matilda
The “unofficial” national anthem of Australia
Once a jolly swagman sat beside the billabong,
Under the shade of a coolibah tree,
And he sang as he sat and waited by the billabong
You'll come a waltzing matilda with me
Waltzing matilda, waltzing matilda
You'll come a waltzing matilda with me
And he sang as he sat and waited by the billabong
You'll come a waltzing matilda with me.
Down came a jumbuck to drink beside the billabong
Up jumped the swagman and seized him with glee
And he sang as he tucked jumbuck in his tuckerbag
You'll come a waltzing matilda with me
Waltzing matilda, waltzing matilda
You'll come a waltzing matilda with me
And he sang as he sat and waited by the billabong
You'll come a waltzing matilda with me.
Down came the stockman, riding on his thoroughbred,
Down came the troopers, one, two, three.
"Where's the jolly jumbuck you've got in your tuckerbag?
You'll come a waltzing matilda with me
Waltzing matilda, waltzing matilda
You'll come a waltzing matilda with me
And he sang as he sat and waited by the billabong
You'll come a waltzing matilda with me.
Up jumped the swagman and plunged into the billabong,
"You'll never catch me alive," cried he
And his ghost may be heard as you ride beside the billabong,
You'll come a waltzing matilda with me.
In Australia, “waltzing Matilda”
means to go “walkabout” looking
for a job with your bedroll
So, if someone in Australia asks you
to go waltzing with them, bring
hiking boots instead of dancing
shoes!
Tip to help you with the OED:
Use the “List of Abbreviations”
The OED uses a lot of abbreviations
At the front of each volume, there is a
“List of Abbreviations, Signs, Etc.”
Use it to help you interpret entries
in the OED
You might want to make a copy of it
so you can have the list nearby as
you use the dictionary
Now let’s look at the two main types
of entries in the OED…
Two Types of Entries
#1 Cross-reference entries
refer you to another
definition
AND…
#2 Main Entries (the most common)
Note: There may be more than one entry for a word, and each entry may have
more than one definition. For example: This page has 5 “hulks.” “Hulk” #1 has
three definitions attached to it. The older the word, the more definitions.
Why more than one entry?
Because different forms of the word may develop separately
from each other:
The 4 Main Parts of an Entry
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#1. Identification: includes the word itself, the part of
speech, status label(s) and variant spellings
#2 Etymology and form history of the word: usually in
brackets
#3- Signification: the definition(s) of the word
#4. Illustrative Quotations: examples of how the word
was used from first known recorded occurrence
onward. Includes date of publication, author, and text
of quotations
#1 The Identification
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Dagger means this form of the
word is obsolete and no longer in
use in the English language
Main form of word: “hulk”
Pronunciation: “hAlk”
Part of speech:“sb.” which is short
for “substantive,” another word for
“noun”.
Labels: “Obs.”obsolete and “dial.”
dialect.
Forms: “1 hulc, 4-hulk,” etc. are
alternate spellings of the word and
when they were used. 1 means
“before 1100,” 4 stands for the
“14th century,” etc.
Use the “List of Abbreviations” to
help you interpret labels and parts
of speech.
#2 The Etymology and Form
History
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Usually in brackets. It tells where
the word came from, how its form
(spelling) evolved over history, and
information such as the language(s)
the word evolved from.
For example,, this entry of “hulk”
came from the Old English (OE.)
word “hulc,” but before that, it
came from such languages such as
Old French (OF.) and various
strains of German (MLG, OHG,
and MHG). But the word originally
came from a Greek word meaning
“a ship that is towed.”
You will definitely need the “List
of Abbreviations” for this section!
#3 Signification: the definitions, notice this entry for “hulk” has 4 main
definitions, and definition 4 subdivides into “a” and “b.”
#4 –Illustrative quotations: these are listed after each definition in a
smaller font. They may look funny because they keep the original spelling.
At least one quotation is given for each century, and they are arranged
chronologically. Note: under definition #4, Shakespeare is first know
author to use hulk meaning “a big unwieldy person.” Incredible, no?
Now use the OED to help
you analyze Margaret
Atwood’s Poem “You Fit
into Me”
You Fit into Me
by Margaret Atwood
You fit into me
Like a hook into an eye
Let’s pick a word that affects the over-all
meaning of the poem…
You Fit into Me
by Margaret Atwood
You fit into me
Like a hook into an eye
Now let’s look it up in the OED…
The first entry for the word is a general definition for the word
“hook.” Let’s see if we can find something more specific that
will fit with the reference to “eye.”
Def. 5 seems to fit the best—but note
the “See also” reference.
“hook and eye” presents the idea of two things
that connect and fit together. So…
You Fit into Me
by Margaret Atwood
You fit into me
Like a hook into an eye
A “hook and eye” creates an image of two things that are
made to fit together. Therefore, this is a very romantic
image. But let’s look at the rest of the poem…
You Fit into Me
by Margaret Atwood
You fit into me
Like a hook into an eye
A fish hook
an open eye
You Fit into Me
by Margaret Atwood
You fit into me
Like a hook into an eye
A fish hook
an open eye
Not the hook and eye we thought!
In the poem, Atwood plays on the
general definition of “hook.” The
reader assumes lines 1 and 2 refer
to a “hook and eye”— a romantic
image. However, in the last 2
lines, the poet clarifies exactly the
type of hook she was referring to.
Fishhooks and eyeballs were never
meant to go together! Therefore,
these 2 lines undercut what we
thought was going on in the first
two lines! The image changes from
romantic to painful.
For Further Reading
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Berg, Donna Lee. A Guide to the Oxford English Dictionary: The Essential Companion’s User Guide. Oxford:
Oxford University Press: 1993. Print. Ref PE1617.O94 B47 1993
Gives in-depth breakdown of the different types of information available in the dictionary.
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Winchester, Simon. The Meaning of Everything: The Story of the Oxford English Dictionary. New
York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2003. Print. Ref PE1617 .O94 W56 2003
Tells the eventful, personality-filled story of the making of the OED.
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Winchester, Simon. The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford
English Dictionary. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1998. Print. PE1617 .O94 W56 1998
Tells about the making of the OED. Also gives fascinating story of a Dr. Minor, one of the volunteer
contributors to the dictionary who also happened to be criminally insane.
Any Questions?
Contact Ask-A-Librarian
http://library.sccsc.edu/askalib.htm (864) 592-4654
The End!!!