Antedating of "Biodiversity"

[Fred Shapiro]

On Mon, 9 Jan 2006, Baker, John wrote:

>        If Google Print can be trusted (which may not be the case - I'm
> amazed at how many obvious errors it produces), then "biodiversity" was
> used passim in United Nations Environment Programme, Fourth Global
> Training Programme in Environmental Law (1980).

Don't trust the datings in Google Print.  This document apparently was
published in 1999.

Because I and Barry and others have been very successful in using
databases to antedate the OED, it has become tempting to believe the
database rather than the OED where there is a wide discrepancy in date of
first use.  I believe that in cases of technical terms with
well-established datings or approximate datings of coinage, one's first
instinct should be to believe the OED and conclude that the database is in
error.  Most of these databases have dating problems or greater or lesser
severity.

Fred Shapiro


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   Access and Lecturer in Legal Research     Yale University Press,
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