Frequently Asked Questions
Dictionaries
Do you include words used on the Internet? |
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The main problem that we have with Internet usage is that it is ephemeral: it doesn't last. If we cite a printed source, later scholars can in principle go back and check it, but if we cite a word from a website, it may not be there tomorrow. But the academic community is developing ways of citing Internet sources, and we certainly record Internet usage in our files even if we haven't yet found a reliable way of actually quoting it in the dictionary. We also make extensive use of Internet research sources such as electronic versions of journals and encyclopedias, some of which no longer have direct print equivalents: more and more examples in the material added to the OED Online are marked '(Electronic ed.)'.
Other questions in this section: What is a dictionary?
What are people referring to when they talk about the 'Oxford Dictionary'?
Are dictionaries always in alphabetical order?
Are dictionaries really necessary?
Are lexicographers good spellers?
Are other languages besides English recorded in huge multi-volume dictionaries?
Do dictionary-makers ever make mistakes?
Do you include words used on the Internet?
How can I access OED Online?
How do you decide if a new word should go in an Oxford dictionary?
How do you decide what to include in a dictionary?
How do you know what a word means?
How has computer technology affected dictionary-making?
How have dictionaries changed over the years?
How will a dictionary look in 2050?
How will revision affect the size of the OED?
Is there an official committee which regulates the English language?
What skills and talents does a lexicographer need?
When will the Third Edition of the OED be published?
Will you put the word I have invented into the dictionary?
If, after browsing the FAQs, you still can't find the answer to your question then submit your query to the AskOxford Language Query team.
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