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Book details

Historical thesaurus of the Oxford English dictionary

with additional material from "A Thesaurus of Old English"

by Christian Kay

Published 2009ISBN 978-0-1992-0899-9

A 40-year project in the making, the Historical Thesaurus of the Oxford English Dictionary is the first historical thesaurus to include almost the entire vocabulary of English, from Old English to the present day. Conceived and compiled by the Department of English Language of the University of Glasgow, the Historical Thesaurus of the Oxford English Dictionary is a groundbreaking analysis of the historical inventory of English, allowing users to find words connected in meaning throughout the history of the language. The Historical Thesaurus of the Oxford English Dictionary is a unique resource for word-lovers of all types-linguists and language specialists, historians, literary commentators, among others-as well as being a fascinating resource for everyone with an interest in the English language and its historical development. It is a perfect complement to the OED itself, allowing the words in the OED to be cross-referenced and viewed in wholly new ways. - Publisher.

Beyond its central premise, the book can be read through the connected lenses of Nonfiction. Those themes offer useful points of attention as the characters, ideas, or world develop, especially where the book complicates the expectations of its primary category.

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Themes to notice

Nonfiction

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Content notes

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Historical thesaurus of the Oxford English dictionaryChristian Kay
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Before you choose

A quick reading snapshot

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Reading lengthLength not listed
Publication eraModernFirst published or edition dated 2009
Primary categoryNonfictionExplore similar books below
ISBN-13
978-0-1992-0899-9
Language
English
Edition record
OL24011082M
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A more thoughtful way into this book

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Good to know

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Begin with its place in Nonfiction, then notice where the book resists that label.

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Read for connection, not completion.

Mark one passage that sharpens the book's central concern and one that complicates it. That tension often reveals more than a quick summary.

Three questions to carry with you

  1. Whose perspective organizes the story, and whose perspective remains outside it?
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  3. How does the book change the way you understand its larger subject?

Editorial framework by Wesley Bryan, BookenDeX Founder and Editor.