Word by Word

Brimming with intelligence and personality, a vastly entertaining account of how dictionaries are made a must read for word mavens While most of us might take dictionaries for granted, the process of writing them is in fact as lively and dynamic as language itself With sharp wit and irreverence, Kory Stamper cracks open the complex, obsessive world of lexicography from the agonizing decisions about what and how to define, to the knotty questions of usage in an ever changing language She explains why small words are the most difficult to define have you ever tried to define is , how it can take nine months to define a single word, and how our biases about language and pronunciation can have tremendous social influence Throughout, Stamper brings to life the hallowed halls and highly idiosyncratic cubicles of Merriam Webster, a world inhabited by quirky, erudite individuals who quietly shape the way we communicate A sure delight for all lovers of words, Word by Word might also quietly improve readers grasp and use of the English language. Read Word by Word author Kory Stamper – kino-fada.fr Click here to watch a video review of on my BookTube channel, From Beginning to Bookend For many people, the dictionary is a relic once used by grandparents and is now, in its retirement, relegated to the dishonorable position of dust covered doorstop Lexicographers those quiet, anti social compilers of dictionaries are, presumably, a thing of the past Not so, proclaims Kory Stamper, longstanding lexicographer for Merriam Webster In this rousing debut that unveils the complicated craft o Click here to watch a video review of on my BookTube channel, From Beginning to Bookend For many people, the dictionary is a relic once used by grandparents and is now, in its retirement, relegated to the dishonorable position of dust covered doorstop Lexicographers those quiet, anti social compilers of dictionaries are, presumably, a thing of the past Not so, proclaims Kory Stamper, longstanding lexicographer for Merriam Webster In this rousing debut that unveils the complicated craft of defining words and the science of unearthing the etymological origins of their meaning, Stamper proves the dictionary is a lexical reference that s long been taken for gran...4 starsThis totally satisfied my inner word nerd Lexicographer Merriam Webster Dictionary writer and blogger vlogger Kory Stamper provides, with Word by Word, a humorous and fascinating look at the dying art of dictionary construction It s no...I liked this book a lot, but I do have to admit that it was a dense one and it appeals to a sparse group of people This book needs to be read slow to be enjoyed in asatisfying manner I liked how the author made us feel her love for the English Language and how she applied that to her job as editor of one of the most know dictionaries out here If you consider yourself a logophile , then this book is definitely for you Not the most exciting one but full of a minutiae of information tha I liked this book a lot, but I do have to admit that it was a dense one and it appeals to a sparse group of people This book needs to be read slow to be enjoyed in asatisfying manner I liked how the author made us feel her love for the English Language and how she applied that to her job as editor of one of the most know dictionaries out here If you consider yourself a log...This was a fun, fascinating read that gives you some insight into the process of making the Merriam Webster dictionary Kory Stamper breaks down how decisions are made regarding what goes into the dictionary it s descriptive, not prescriptive as well as how lexicographers write definitions and example phrases mindful to avoid personal bias She gets into the differences between lexicographers and grammarians views on the English language and examines how words evolve over time and a...I would wager that if you look at a list of the hardest jobs in the world, lexicologist would not be on it.well, it should be These dedicated people are insane geniuses whose entire lives are made up of words they wake up in the middle of the night to jot down a thought or dream that they had which might help them in editing the dictionary they listen to the conversation of others to find clues as to how English is being used they read about new sciences that may bring a new word to the lan I would wager that if you look at a list of the hardest jobs in the world, lexicologist would not be on it.well, it should be These dedicated people are insane geniuses whose entire lives are made up of words they wake up in the middle of the night to jot down a thought or dream that they had which might help them in editing the dictionary they listen to the conversation of others to find clues as to how English is being used they read about new sciences that may bring a new word to the language This book, written by one of these geniuses is a must read for those of us who love words Dictionaries, whether printed or electronic are constantly being updated a...I love English words, language, grammar, all that good stuff so I was delighted to find this book by Kory Stamper Stamper is a lexicologist she writes word definitions for Merriam Webster I found the process she describes, and her insights along the way, endlessly fascinating.Stamper s background is Old English and Medieval Studies She loves English, this wild, vibrant whore of a language I love the following paragraph We think of English as a fortress to be defended, but a better analo I love English words, language, grammar, all that good stuff so I was delighted to find this book by Kory Stamper Stamper is a lexicologist she writes word definitions for Merriam Webster I found the process she describes, and her insights along the way, endlessly fascina...When I was in about 6th grade, when my class went to the library, I would take the 6 or so thick dictionary off its podium and sit with it, looking for words I didn t know So, when I saw the advance copy of this book, I HAD to read it It s just lovely Written by a lexicographer at Miri...The book you didn t even know you wanted to read Who would have thought a book about dictionaries and lexicographers could be so completely enjoyable and immensely entertaining I would not have immediately gravitated to a book like this, imagining that it would be much too dry, and better suited for hard core word nerds and academics But when a few GR friends gave it glowing recommendations, using words such as comedic , fascinating , and candid in their reviews, I was intrigued I mean, The book you didn t even know you wanted to read Who would have thought a book about dictionaries and lexicographers could be so completely enjoyable and immensely entertaining I would not have immediately gravitated to a book like this, imagining that it would be much too dry, and better suited for hard core word nerds and academics But when a few GR friends gave it glowing recommendations, using words such as comedic , fascinating , and candid in their reviews, I was intrigued I mean, I hadn t even heard of the term lexicographer before I knew I had to AT LEAST read a chapter or two to see what it was all about I admit I fully expected I d get bored quickly and figured I d get a little practice with the art of skimming Boy, was I wrong The author, Kory Stamper, may be a word nerd of the highest order, but she s a hip and funny one She had no qualms see the fancy word I used there poking fun at the lexicographer personality, ...Kory Stamper takes you inside Merriam Webster to show you how their dictionary is made You can see how the lexicographers and the company they work for are dedicated to their product Dictionary users are usually not aware of all that goes into creating these reference works Many believe that dictionaries are a source for regulating language and would be surprised to know that their role is to describe how language is used Most surely will not know how a publisher decides when a new word is Kory Stamper takes you inside Merriam Webster to show you how their dictionary is made You can see how the lexicographers and the company they work for are dedicated to their product Dictionary users are usually not aware of all that goes into creating these reference works Many believe that dictionaries are a source for regulating language and would be surprised to know that their role is to describe how language is used Most surely will not know how a publisher decides when a new word is worthy of inclusion or that one lexicographer only produces 250 entries a year.Each part of writing an entry is tedious Stamper shows how once you decide a word is a noun, verb and adjective uses come to your attention Examples of a word s use must be short and boring A pronu...If you love dictionaries, you ll love this book Written by a confirmed Descriptivist who cannot always control a bit of the Prescriptivist still lurking within Here s a great paragraph from Stamper s book If you like the paragraph, I m betting you will like the book We think of English as a fortress to be defended, but a better analogy is to think of English as a child We love and nurture it into being, and once it gains gross motor skills, it starts going exactly where we don t want it to If you love dictionaries, you ll love this book Written by a confirmed Descriptivist who cannot always control a bit of the Prescriptivist still lurking within Here s a great paragraph from Stamper s book If you like the paragraph, I m betting you will like the book We think of English as a fortress to be defended, but a better analogy is to think of English as a child We love and nurture it into being, and once it gains gross motor skills, it starts going exactly where we don t want it to go it heads right for the goddamned electrical sockets We dress it in fancy clothes and tell it to behave, and it comes home with its underwear on its head and wearing someone else s socks As English grows, it lives its own life, and this is right and healthy Sometimes English does exactly what...

• English
• 11 November 2017
Kory Stamper
• Hardcover
• 296 pages
• 110187094X
• Kory Stamper
• Word by Word