Word by Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries
Kory Stamper
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Bookshop.org Many of us take dictionaries for granted, & few may realize that the process of writing dictionaries is, in fact, as lively & dynamic as language itself. With sharp wit & irreverence, Kory Stamper cracks open the complex, obsessive world of lexicography, from the agonizing decisions about what to define & how to do it, to the knotty questions of usage in an ever-changing language. She explains why small words are the most difficult to define, how it can take nine months to define a single word, & how our biases about language & pronunciation can have tremendous social influence. And along the way, she reveals little-known surprises—for example, the fact that “OMG” was first used in a letter to Winston Churchill in 1917.
Word by Word brings to life the hallowed halls (& highly idiosyncratic cubicles) of Merriam-Webster, a startlingly rich world inhabited by quirky & erudite individuals who quietly shape the way we communicate. Certain to be a delight for all lovers of words, Stamper’s debut will make you laugh as much as it makes you appreciate the wonderful complexities & eccentricities of the English language.
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