"Among the New Words": The Prospects and Challenges of Short-Term Historical Lexicography

Abstract

Historical lexicography as practiced in the manner of the Oxford English Dictionary typically takes the long view, requiring the gradual accumulation of a substantial depth of documentary evidence for a particular lexical item before it is considered for potential inclusion. But for nearly eight decades, a continuing project in historical lexicography has concentrated on items with decidedly short-term history. Among the New Words, a feature established by Dwight Bolinger in the pages of American Speech, has applied an OED-style approach to the documentation of neologisms. In this article, two of the current editors of Among the New Words look back at the feature's history in order to provide some perspective on the new prospects and challenges of engaging in short-term historical lexicography.