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Angus Stevenson

Shorter Oxford English Dictionary - Sixth Edition (set of 2 books) Hardcover – 20 Sept. 2007

by Oxford Languages (Author)

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From the beginning, the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary was intended to be an abridgement of the full Oxford English Dictionary. The first editor, William Little, was appointed in 1902. He worked on it until his death in 1922, after which the dictionary was completed by H. W. Fowler, Jessie Coulson, and C. T. Onions. The First Edition was published in 1933, in two volumes. The Second Edition, published in 1936, contained about 3,000 revisions and additions. The Third Edition (1944) contained an appendix of addenda and corrigenda, and this edition was reprinted several times with corrections and additions, the most significant being in 1973, with enlarged addenda (now running to over 70 pages) and a major revision of all the etymologies. The New Shorter was prepared under the editorship of Lesley Brown 1980-1993. It was the first complete revision of the dictionary, being in fact not so much an overhaul of the existing text as a reabridgement of the OED and its Supplements. The Fifth Edition was published in 2002, and reverted to the name Shorter Oxford English Dictionary to emphasize the link between this 2-volume dictionary and the original 20-volume OED. The Sixth Edition of the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary provides a complete update of this unique reference work. Based on the 20-volume Oxford English Dictionary, the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary contains an incredible one-third of the coverage of the Oxford English Dictionary, is just one-tenth of the size, and includes all words in current English from 1700 to the present day, plus the vocabulary of Shakespeare, the Bible and other major works in English from before 1700. The new edition, with a new introductory essay by language expert David Crystal on the History of English, includes 2,500 new words and senses, plus thousands of antedatings of existing words, drawing on the huge ongoing research project for the Oxford English Dictionary and the wealth of information on language in use provided by the Oxford English Corpus. In addition, the work includes many new quotations from recent authors, a refreshed design, and a complete review of spelling forms and defining vocabulary, making it the most authoritative reference work available for both modern and historical English. For scholars and everyone with a serious interest in the English language, the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary is an unrivalled resource, providing a unique description of the historical development of the language together with excellent coverage of current English. The Sixth Edition showcases the best of the traditional strengths of the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary, while bringing it up to date in its scholarship and research, in the design and layout, and in its treatment of the changing face of English. This is a 2 volume set.

ISBN-10

0199206872
ISBN-13

978-0199206872
Edition

Standard Sixth
Publisher

OUP Oxford
Publication date

20 Sept. 2007
Language

English
Dimensions

28.96 x 23.62 x 13.46 cm
Print length

3804 pages
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Product description

Review

The new edition... has proved an authoritative, reliable, constantly surprising friend. ― Mark Sanderson, Sunday Telegraph Books of the Year

It is thoughtful in its definitions, systematic in its arrangement. It will help the careful user of words to be rightly understood. ― John Whale, TLS

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ OUP Oxford; Standard Sixth edition (20 Sept. 2007)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 3804 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0199206872
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0199206872
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 28.96 x 23.62 x 13.46 cm

Best Sellers Rank: 370,076 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- 82 in English Dictionaries
- 425 in Spanish
- 671 in Vocabulary Reference

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197 ratings

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HAVE YOU EVER BEEN WRONGLY CORRECTED OVER A WORD, WHEN YOU WERE RIGHT ?

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 14 May 2022

Verified Purchase

After obtaining this Shorter Oxford English Dictionary I have proof that has been denied me in all other dictionaries I have delved into to date. That quite simple word, having been part of my vocabulary since childhood, is the noun ( conjunction and adverb ) 'whilst', which has origins going right back to the late Middle English period. This means that it has been in use for at least 500 years, yet I was once castigated by my school's English teacher for using it in an essay, and computer spelling checkers now try to correct me when using it in internet correspondence. I know it is silly but, at 70 years of age, I eventually feel that I have been absolved of the ironic sin of using a word that has existed all along. The price of this two volume set alone is worth the settling of that matter in my mind.

Eamonn

5 people found this helpful

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antoniazzi paolo

If you like dctionaries, meaning and history of english words, the Shorteris a Real masterpiece.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 21 May 2022

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I also liked the very high quality of the print at a very cheap price.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 4 February 2022

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As an older person I like the paper search to find the words and definition. Memories of my young self. Just magic

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 10 December 2021

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For professional work, higher education, or when reading this is the dictionary to use. It is not suitable for everyday travel as it is large in size. I use it often and it is invaluable.

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Jon Greenwood

One picture is worth 10,000 words!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 1 December 2021

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Could have been even shorter, if it was a picture book of 60 pages, as it contains around 600,000 entries - luckily they are in alphabetical order for ease of access.

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Sam

An excellent resource, but check the pages for damage.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 20 December 2016

Verified Purchase

The SOED is an excellent resource for me. I was gifted the set by a family member for my birthday after I suggested that a dictionary would be a good gift as I currently read law. I find myself dipping into the set daily to find words and occasionally to prove people wrong with meanings and pronunciations!

I did, however, have a few problems with the dictionaries when they arrived. The first set had a big grease mark across a couple of pages, so I ordered a replacement only to find that that also was defective and had very poor print quality in the second volume, another set was ordered and the same issue was in that one. After this I gave up and decided to just keep the third one with the ink issue seen as it was just very faint, but still there.

6 people found this helpful

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Ivan's choice

The 2-book set arrived today in perfect condition. This abridged edition IN BOOK FORM of ...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 3 April 2018

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This abridged edition IN BOOK FORM of the multi-volume OED covers enough words for language fans as well as editors and teachers. More often than not, an advanced learner's dictionary does not include enough words or the inflected forms of some words which also require explanation and it is here that this dictionary comes in to help.
For example, most advanced learner's dictionaries include "halo" as a noun but no defined entry on its corresponding verb form. Also, the Shorter OED provides clearer definitions on simple words. For another example, "crotch" is not just about human groins, but also means "a fork of a tree or a bough" in a language context in which part of a tree is concerned.
A wonderful compilation!

8 people found this helpful

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Bob Miller

Wonderful but you need the ODE too

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 26 November 2012

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This is a wonderful dictionary but it isn't entirely the dictionary the publicity material says it is. The jacket claims, 'this edition combines the world's best dictionary of contemporary English with a comprehensive account of the historical development of the language.' The book description (above) says it is 'the most authoritative reference work available for both modern and historical English.'

When I queried the thinness of some accounts of current usage with the editor, he replied that the Oxford Dictionary of English 'gives a fuller treatment [than the SOED] to everyday words, with more detail, shades of meaning, examples, and grammatical specification.' Yet the SOED's publicity maintains it is the best, most authoritative dictionary of current as well as historical English. OUP publicists aren't as scrupulous as their lexicographers. You really need both the SOED and the ODE - but they are still worth every penny.

12 people found this helpful

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