Oxford English Dictionary News

To celebrate the 80th anniversary of the publication of the last fascicle of the Oxford English Dictionary in 1928, we are offering a special price for the printed edition of the OED. The magnificent 20-volume printed set is now available at the special offer price of just £450 until 31 January 2009, or for US customers $895.

Latest additions to the OED

On 11 September, a series of revised ranges from across the alphabet were added to the Dictionary: see John Simpson's commentary on the most interesting features of this batch. We have also added new words in the range and from across the alphabet; Graeme Diamond picks some out in his notes on the latest new words.

Special anniversary panel sessions

Come along to the special discussion events listed opposite to find out more about the past, present and future of ‘the greatest dictionary in any language’ (Daily Telegraph).

You can also read/listen to the interview with Ammon Shea, author of Reading the OED, and Jesse Sheidlower, Editor at Large for the OED. Read also about the first editor, Sir James Murray, and one of the most famous contributors, Dr Minor, in the Oxford DNB; or listen to the lives of Murray and Minor in the Oxford DNB's free biography podcast.

Sessions

1 October - Yale University 4.30-7pm, with Fred Shapiro, Ammon Shea, Jesse Sheidlower, and Simon Winchester
14 October - Divinity School, Bodleian Library, Oxford, with Ammon Shea, John Simpson, and Simon Winchester. Doors open 6 pm; discussion 6.30pm. Free tickets are available in advance from Blackwells, Customer Service Department, Broad Street, Oxford, tel. 01865 333623
22 October - Century Club, New York, with Ammon Shea, Jesse Sheidlower, and Simon Winchester
13 November - Harvard Bookstore, Brattle Theatre, 6pm, with Ammon Shea, Jesse Sheidlower, and Simon Winchester
19 November - Philadelphia Free Library, 7-9pm, with Ammon Shea, Jesse Sheidlower, and Barbara Wallraff

The OED newsletter

News of research and developments on the Oxford English Dictionary was formerly available in periodic printed newsletters. These brought together articles by editors and others on their work for the Dictionary, appeals for help with finding evidence of words currently being revised or drafted (see the latest appeals list), and reports of the editors' recent findings about the language in all its entertaining variety.

We have replaced these newsletters with quarterly commentaries on the latest published batches and new words, but copies of the newsletters can still be read here on OED Online in our Newsletter archive.