If You're Curious About These Questions...
You should listen to this audiobook
- Have you ever wondered why the simplest, most common words in the English language are actually the most difficult for experts to define?
- Did you know that dictionaries aren’t actually meant to be the 'language police'—and there’s a surprising reason why 'incorrect' words often make the cut?
- Are you curious about the secret, high-stakes process that determines exactly when a word is 'real' enough to earn its place in the dictionary?
Listen to Word by Word
What You'll Learn from Word by Word
- For people who research language and communication professionally, lexicographers certainly cherish deep, profound silence greatly.
- Grammar is far more complicated than it seems at first glance.
- There is no right or wrong when it comes to grammar.
- Words deemed “wrong” can sometimes reveal older, long-forgotten meanings to readers today.
- There are two main types of definition, which can confuse dictionary users.
Word by Word 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.
About Word by Word
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 to Word by Word
- Language enthusiasts and linguistics nerds
- Lovers of English literature
- Anyone hoping to get a new perspective on underappreciated professions
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