Living Words

In this unique and entertaining collection of articles, a noted scholar and compiler of key works of reference reflects on the nature of language, the art of lexicography, and the breathtaking developments in communication, the media, and information technology in the late twentieth century.

Living Words ranges over three main subjects: language at large, and in particular English, the most widely used language in the history of the world; the art and study of dictionaries and reference science, embracing all past, present, and potential reference materials from the Oxford English Dictionary to the Yellow Pages; and the processes through which communication, information, and knowledge have evolved -- from cave art to the personal computer.