The Story of Webster's Third: Philip Gove's Controversial Dictionary and Its Critics

ISBN-13: 9780521558693 / Angielski / Miękka / 1995 / 360 str.

Herbert C. Morton

Opis

The publication of Webster's Third International Dictionary in 1961 set off a storm of controversy that was virtually unprecedented in its scope and intensity. Herbert Morton tells the story from the beginning, drawing on new sources. He describes how the third edition was planned and put together by Gove, where it went astray, and how it was misunderstood and misinterpreted by its detractors.

Recenzje

"Only rarely has the process of lexicography been given such insightful and understanding treatment by a non-lexicographer as we find in Morton's book." Sharp News

Spis treści

1. The best of times and the worst: a prologue; Part I. Philip Gove and the Genesis of Webster's Third: 2. Gove's formative years: the road to Springfield; 3. The Webster and Merriam tradition; 4. The new editor takes hold; Part II. The Making of the Dictionary: Gove's Intentions: 5. The meaning of words: definers at work; 6. The origins of words: the etymologist's task; 7. The sound of words and other matters; 8. Usage and final tasks; Part III. The War of Words: 9. Early Returns: the fuse is lit; 10. The controversy heats up; 11. 1962: calamity or calumny?; 12. Commercial intrusions: trademarks, takeover threats, competition; 13. Ideology and politics in the running debate; 14. The judgment of peers; Part IV. Sorting it All Out: 15. Gove and Webster's Third: the legacy; 16. Concluding words.