The history of the Oxford English Dictionary (continued)

part 2 of 10

The First Edition 1857 - 1928 (continued)

At the meeting of 3 December 1857, a report from the 'Unregistered Words Committee was read by the Secretary to that Committee, Mr. H. Coleridge'. This was followed by the resolution 'That for the present this Report be received and laid on the table. This resolution was passed in consequence of a statement that a larger scheme, for a completely new English Dictionary, might shortly be submitted to the Society.' The Dean's paper had clearly convinced the Society of the inadequacy of its proposals, and had shown that nothing short of a 'completely new' work would suffice. In this natural way arose the epithet New which appeared on the title-page of the Dictionary when the time for publication arrived.

The Society lost no time in following up the new idea, little suspecting the magnitude of the task which lay before it, and the many years that would elapse before it would be completed, or even properly begun. On 7 January 1858, 'the following resolutions were passed relating to the undertaking of a New English Dictionary.

1. That instead of the Supplement to the Standard English Dictionaries now in course of preparation by the order of the Society, a New Dictionary of the English Language be prepared under the Authority of the Philological Society.
2. That the work be placed in the hands of two Committees, the one, Literary and Historical, consisting of The very Rev. The Dean of Westminster, F. J. Furnivall, Esq., and Herbert Coleridge, Esq. (Secretary, the other, Etymological, consisting of Hensleigh Wedgewood, Esq., and Prof. Malden, and that in questions of doubt as to the form which any article shall assume, the decision of the Literary and Historical Committee shall be final.
3. That the Society desires to express its thanks to the contributors who have kindly given their assistance to its Unregistered Words Committee, and to invite their assistance, and that of fresh volunteers, in the new undertaking.
4. That Messrs. Furnivall and Coleridge be empowered to enter into such conditional agreement with Messrs. Nutt of London and Asher of Berlin, or such other Publishers as they think fit, to publish the Dictionary on such terms as they think fit.
5. That the Subscriptions of all Members who have joined or shall join the Society through the Unregistered Words Committee or the New Dictionary Committee, shall be placed, so far as required, at the disposal of the Committees now appointed, to defray their printing and other expenses.
6. That the Philological Society will afford every assistance in its power to enable its Committees to make a Dictionary worthy of the English Language.'

part 2 of 10