Why did a Roman soldier connect the word salary with salt? The Oxford Dictionary of Word Histories describes the origins and sense development of thousands of c

Contains alphabetically arranged entries that explore the origin, evolution, and social history of over three thousand English language words.

The Oxford English Dictionary is the internationally recognized authority on the evolution of the English language from 1150 to the present day. The Dictionary

Examines the hidden history through which the Oxford English Dictionary came into being in a study that traces the personal battles involved in chronicling an e

Demonstrates that the Oxford English Dictionary is an international product in both its content and its making.