Books › The meaning of everything
The meaning of everything
First published 2003 · 286 pages
An engaging, anecdote-rich journey through the monumental, decades-long obsession required to catalog the English language.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like stepping into a dusty, sunlit Victorian study filled with towering stacks of paper and endlessly fascinating eccentrics. It offers a steady, deeply curious exploration of a monumental human endeavor, tracing the arduous and obsessive path of cataloging the English language. The narrative balances scholarly history with warm, engaging anecdotes about the lexicographers who dedicated their lives to the project. The prose is detailed and appreciative, inviting the reader to marvel at the sheer scale of creating a definitive dictionary from scratch. It is a deeply satisfying read for word nerds, history buffs, and anyone who delights in the meticulous, decades-long pursuit of an impossible intellectual dream.
- Mood
- intellectual
- curious
- academic
- reflective
- Tone
- informative
- appreciative
- anecdotal
- scholarly
- Pace
- steady
- Themes
- the evolution of language · monumental human endeavor · obsession and dedication · the history of words
- The writing
- Detailed and narrative-driven, weaving historical facts with engaging human anecdotes.
- The arc
- Moves from the spark of an ambitious idea through the long, arduous process of creation, culminating in a sense of monumental achievement.
- Who it's for
- Word nerds, history buffs, and anyone fascinated by the meticulous, decades-long process behind the books we take for granted.
About the book
Traces the history of the Oxford English Dictionary from its earliest inception through its long path to completion, describes the process of creating a dictionary, and includes anecdotes about its creators and their work.
Description from Open Library.
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