The Periodical 1928

OUP’s in-house journal, The Periodical, commemorated the completion of the first edition of OED in 1928 with a special issue. A copy from the OED archives is reproduced below, including front and back covers, and is well worth reading in full. Some of the individual sections are linked to as follows: Opening statement, Summary history, The volunteer workers, The editors and their staffs, How the dictionary is made, Sundry observations, The record of words, A Supplement in preparation, The longest sensational serial, The greatest effort since the invention of printing, “To Dr. Murray on Completing the Letter C”.

Opening statement

Summary history

‘The volunteer workers’

‘The editors and their staffs’

‘How the Dictionary is made’

Sundry observations

‘The record of words’

‘A Supplement in preparation’

‘The longest sensational serial’

‘The greatest effort since the invention of printing’

‘The value of quotations’

“To Dr Murray on completing the letter C”

Last updated on 29 November 2019