COST OF A DICTIONARY.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 21 June 1924, Page 12

COST OF A DICTIONARY.

STUPENDOUS WORK OF COMPILATION. When Johnson • finished his famous dictionary, after seven years of laborious work. Andrew Millar_ the bookseller, exclaimed, to, the author’s amuse, ment, “Thank God, I have done with him!” Johnson got £1575 for the work. That will give some impression of the gigantic task involved in the Oxford Dictionary, which is now nearing completion, for this great undertaking has been going on for 45 years, and is expected to cost no less than £1,250.000, says the Yorkshire Post. It will lie the greatest work of its kind in existence, and the last word on the philology of the English language. Yet, in spite of the timp occupied in complation, it has been a record in speed for such a work, for a huge German dictionary and, a Dutch dictionary are still dragging on in their respective countries, although the first was begun in 1838 and the latter in 1850. According to one of the editors the Oxford Dictionary will contain 425,000 words, the life histories of which, as given in'this work, will probably settle their origin and evolution for all time. Among its distinguished editors have been Sir James Murray, Dr. Henry Bradley, and Dr. William Craigie.-.