Includes bibliographical references and index.

Machine generated contents note: 1. Entering the OED; 2. A global dictionary from the beginning; 3. James Murray and words of the world; 4. James Murray and the Stanford Dictionary controversy; 5. William Craigie, Charles Onions, and the mysterious case of the vanishing tramlines; 6. Robert Burchfield and words of the world in the OED Supplements; 7. Conclusion.

"Most people think of the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) as a distinctly British product. Begun in England one hundred and fifty years ago, it took over sixty years to complete and when it was finally finished in 1928 the British Prime Minister heralded it as a 'national treasure.' This book shows that the dictionary is not as 'British' as we all thought. The linguist and lexicographer, Sarah Ogilvie, combines her insider knowledge and experience with impeccable research to show rather that the OED is an international product in both its content and its making. She examines the policies and practices of the various editors, applies qualitative and quantitative analysis, and finds new OED archival materials in the form of letters, reports and proofs. She demonstrates that the OED, in its use of readers from all over the world and its coverage of World English, was in fact a global text"-- Provided by publisher.