You have commented 358 times on Rantburg.

Your Name
Your e-mail (optional)
Website (optional)
My Original Nic        Pic-a-Nic        Sorry. Comments have been closed on this article.
Bold Italic Underline Strike Bullet Blockquote Small Big Link Squish Foto Photo
Submit your comments on this article
Britain
Ditch the Oxford Dictionary: UK think-tank
2007-03-16
The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) should no longer be the main authority on the English language because it does not keep pace with today’s rapid linguistic changes, a report said on Thursday. Left-wing think-tank Demos said the OED should be replaced by a website – democtionary org – that would allow English-speaking members of the public from Britain and abroad to contribute their own words and definitions.

The reportÂ’s co-author, Sam Jones, said an online dictionary similar to the user-generated Internet encyclopaedia Wikipedia was needed to track the pace of language change and the influence of non-native speakers on it. Chief editor John Simpson welcomed DemosÂ’s contribution, but denied the OED was a prescriptive rather than a descriptive reference work.
Posted by:Fred

#10  They could call it the Wikidicky.
Posted by: Nimble Spemble   2007-03-16 20:04  

#9  Oh, and by the way, that persistent high pitched whirring sound that you hear in the background? That's George Orwell spinning in his grave.

Phase 2 - a new source of green power.
Posted by: DMFD   2007-03-16 19:19  

#8  If Fjordman ever needed any proof for his theory about language perverting "glossocrats", he need look no further than these mega-loons. Only by excluding the OED from common use will Demos have any hope of seeing acceptance for such belabored and contrived Newspeak as "democtionary".

Oh, and by the way, that persistent high pitched whirring sound that you hear in the background? That's George Orwell spinning in his grave.
Posted by: Zenster   2007-03-16 16:36  

#7  So are they working on the first edition of the Newspeak dictionary?
Posted by: xbalanke   2007-03-16 13:59  

#6  *rimshot*
Posted by: Frank G   2007-03-16 13:57  

#5  So these cunning fellows think that they are now linguists?
Posted by: Alaska Paul   2007-03-16 11:32  

#4  Sounds like the Blackadder episode about Dr Johnson's dictionary.
Posted by: Anonymoose   2007-03-16 10:20  

#3  "Democtionary" is not even a real word, duh!
Posted by: Excalibur   2007-03-16 08:49  

#2  Is the House of Commons going to spend have to pass a series of law for this? Will they have to get EU approval? What does Brussels think about the website name? Let's take this one step at a time.
Posted by: bigjim-ky   2007-03-16 08:23  

#1  Somebody with too much idle time on their hands.
Posted by: 3dc   2007-03-16 00:30  

00:00