The Decline of the Dictionary

Joanne M. Despres jdespres at MERRIAM-WEBSTER.COM
Mon Aug 18 13:33:40 UTC 2003


Sorry, Barry, sometimes we miss things, and sometimes we have
to toss out evidence because it doesn't exactly  fit the senses we
enter.  Honest to God, it's not intended as a slight against your
hard work.


Joanne Despres
Merriam-Webster

On 9 Aug 2003, at 11:56, Bapopik at AOL.COM wrote:

>    Then again, there is the OED, which adds words and never kicks them out.
> Merriam-Webster's 11th was not meant to be the OED.  So "the decline of _the_
> dictionary" is really "the decline of _a_ dictionary" (in one person's
> opinion).
>    I'm more angry that "hello" is dated to 1877 and not changed after all my
> hard work years ago.
>
>
> BRITISH NATIONAL LIBRARY ONLINE--
> http://www.uk.olivesoftware.com/archive/Skins/BL/navigator.asp
>    It uses a similar system to the BROOKLYN EAGLE.  Unfortunately, there are
> just a few selected years so far, with the earliest 1851.  I keep going back
> to it, but there hasn't been any change.  Fred Shapiro has a little electronic
> list, and I don't remember if this was on it.
>
>
> ANCESTRY.COM--Gerald Cohen wants Oregon newspapers, but ancestry.com has _no_
> Oregon newspapers at all.  For some reason, they keep adding small-town Ohio
> newspapers (not even the CLEVELAND PLAIN DEALER or CINCINNATI ENQUIRER).
> There are not many newspapers before 1860 or after 1950,  The database improves
> every day, but for now, here are some large holes:
>
> OREGON--no newspapers (No "Tillamook cheese")
> HAWAII--no newspapers (No "mai tai")
> DELAWARE--no newspapers  (No "submarine sandwich")
> WASHINGTON--no newspapers before 1902 (No "geoduck")
> TEXAS--no newspapers before 1899 and not much after 1919.  Texas!!
> FLORIDA--only two newspapers with very brief runs
> LOUISIANA--only one newspaper, the LAFAYETTE ADVERTISER, from 1869-1905.
> This kills me. New Orleans--for the love of Pete, add a solid 100 years of New
> Orleans!!
> SOUTH CARLONIA--only one newspaper, from 1924-1928
> OHIO--about 66 titles!!!!!!!!!!
>
>    Add one crappy search engine and there you are.


Joanne M. Despres, Senior Editor
Merriam-Webster, Inc.
jdespres at merriam-webster.com
http://www.merriam-webster.com



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