Listen Now
Loading audio... Please wait for the audio to load before using controls.
0:0018:44
100%
Chapter Overview
Chapter 1: AudiobookHub Recommendation
Chapter 2: For people who research language and communication professionally, lexicographers certainly cherish deep, profound silence greatly.
Chapter 3: Grammar is far more complicated than it seems at first glance.
Chapter 4: There is no right or wrong when it comes to grammar.
Chapter 5: Words deemed “wrong” can sometimes reveal older, long-forgotten meanings to readers today.
Chapter 6: There are two main types of definition, which can confuse dictionary users.
Chapter 7: To appear in the dictionary, words must satisfy three specific criteria consistently.
Chapter 8: It’s difficult to locate suitable citations for dictionaries, and inventing example sentences can be problematic as well sometimes.
Chapter 9: Lexicographers carry inherent authority, which means their work sometimes becomes politicized too.
Description
Word by Word (2017) is about an object, and its associated profession, for which people rarely spare a thought: dictionaries and the honorable occupation of lexicography. Kory Stamper introduces the fascinating world of word classification through her own experience at Merriam-Webster, showing what dictionaries can do and, just as importantly, what they don’t.
Who Should Listen
- Language enthusiasts and linguistics nerds
- Lovers of English literature
- Anyone hoping to get a new perspective on underappreciated professions