Includes bibliographical references (p. [252]-266) and index.
Contents
The ideal dictionary -- Palimpsests -- Lost words -- Science and the principles of selection -- 'I am not the editor of the English language' -- Ended but not complete -- Into the future.
Summary
"Lost For Words uncovers the enthralling process by which the great dictionary came into being, tracing - through letters and archives - the personal battles involved in charting a constantly changing language. Seeking to determine correct usage, the lexicographers reveal themselves vulnerable to the prejudices of their own linguistic preferences and to the influence of contemporary social history."--BOOK JACKET.
