The Meaning of Everything: The Story of the Oxford English Dictionary

Abstract

In The Meaning of Everything, Simon Winchester takes the reader abroad, into the story of the language, the technology, and the myriad of personalities that makes the Oxford English Dictionary possible. This is no small feat. Winchester's power as a storyteller is firmly on display as he carries the reader through complex tasks, negotiating rules of inclusion, and defining the English language. Time and context are woven into the narrative as Winchester demonstrates how these challenges are made more complicated by the publication of Webster's 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language, by the efforts of previous dictionaries that grew out the fifteenth-century printing revolution, and by writers who champion purging English of all acquisitions not identifiable as part of the most pure “Teutonic” Old English.In addition to the narrative, it is obvious that the author has great affection for the personalities. He takes time to point out that Chenevix Trench, dean of Westminster, whose 1857 paper presentation set everything in motion, was not known for his frivolity. Winchester clarifies that Herbert Coleridge was the first editor who, despite suffering from tuberculosis, drew up the rules for the dictionary, divided up the books to be read, found a printer, and organized the first wave of volunteers. He acknowledges that Frederick James Furnivall was a bit of a rascal, but paints Furnivall's behavior in a softer light, unless the future of the OED is threatened. Indeed, as Winchester tells it, all of the odd, quirky, and eccentric contributors to the OED appear to be participating as compatriots in one long comedy of errors.Winchester's story of challenges and personalities fits nicely into the larger conversation of the OED. The seminal work Caught in the Web of Words: James A.H. Murray and the Oxford English Dictionary (1977) by K. M. Elizabeth Murray, granddaughter of James Murray, cements the place of Murray in the story of the OED. In Empire of Words: The Reign of the OED (1994), John Willinsky wrestles with the foundation of authority, questioning the effect that the dictionary has made on the language as a whole. Lynda Mugglestone in Lost for Words: The Hidden History of the Oxford English Dictionary (2005) compares the proofs of the dictionary with the final printed copy taking note of changes and the implication of what exclusion from the dictionary means. Charlotte Brewer uses the Treasure-house of the Language: The Living OED (2007) to focus on the realty of updating such a collection, specifically the tension that continues between those concerned most with veracity and those concerned most with timeliness. Finally, in Reading the OED: One Man, One Year, 21,730 Pages (2007), Ammon Shea creates a catalog of his reading in appreciation of the peculiar, incidentally repeating a trend that James Murray himself complained about in 1879, when he realized that there were fifty supporting notes on abusion but fewer than five on abuse. Readers, it seems, are still less interested in ordinary words, preferring to find zebras instead of horses.In each case these authors also touch on the learned societies and scholars involved. Many also attempt to illuminate the challenges that “the Philological Society's Dictionary” faced as the understanding of the project changed. None of the authors, however, seem to do so with quite the level of delight or deft skill evident throughout Winchester's writing.There are some bumps in the story, however, that must be brought to the fore. First, Winchester's continued use of more obscure vocabulary, like Stakhanovite on page 140, is so jarring as to suggest that he is attempting to have this title serve as a supportive entry in a future OED addition. It distracts from the flow and can be hard to ignore once noticed. Second, in terms of leaving out African as a head word, one can appreciate that it was included in the first supplement and the original rationale, but the author lets the editors off the hook too easily. The pervasive cultural bias this represents is given no more than a passing engagement. This is in stark contrast to the time the author spends calling out Henry Bradley on anti-Gallic bias.Beyond these criticisms, The Meaning of Everything is an immensely enjoyable introduction to the complex story of the Oxford English Dictionary. Winchester hooks the reader and guides the reading through what could, in other hands, be considered both exceedingly complex and dry content matter. Library historians will find the title a good start to understanding the choices, compromises, and processes that go into developing reference tools. All librarians should find it useful in discussing the role of such tools, as well as the role of our profession, in defining culture and inclusion.