Word by Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries

　　繁複龐雜的字典背後，是誰在撰寫與維護？Merriam-Webster的編纂者打開編輯室的大門，帶我們深入製作字典的每一個環節與箇中滋味。
　
　　你曾像證明1+1=2一樣嚴肅的去定義“is”的意義嗎？這就是Kory Stamper繁瑣的工作之一。她是一位lexicographer，也就是字典編寫者。在大家視字典為理所當然的使用當下，字典編寫者正日日與不斷演變的語言與文字交戰，有時候甚至得花整整九個月的時間去定義一個單字。

　　究竟要如何起始編寫一部字典？該如何面對一直在改變的語法？我們對於語言及發音的偏見竟會產生巨大的社會影響力？Stamper這位既古怪又博學並且靜靜在一旁形塑我們溝通方式的作家，與大家分享她工作中遇見的大小難題軼事。從最難定義的短小單字，到OMG出現於1917年一封寫給丘吉爾的信中類似的驚喜發現。Word by Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries將帶所有惜字、愛字人踏入英文的究極之境。(文/博客來編譯)

　　Do you have strong feelings about the word “irregardless”? Have you ever tried to define the word “is”? Brimming with intelligence and personality, this vastly entertaining account of how dictionaries are made is a must-read for word mavens.

　　Many of us take dictionaries for granted, and few may realize that the process of writing dictionaries 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 to define and how to do it, to the knotty questions of usage in an ever-changing language. She explains why small words are the most difficult to define, how it can take nine months to define a single word, and how our biases about language and pronunciation can have tremendous social influence. And along the way, she reveals little-known surprises—for example, the fact that “OMG” was first used in a letter to Winston Churchill in 1917.

　　Word by Word brings to life the hallowed halls (and highly idiosyncratic cubicles) of Merriam-Webster, a startlingly rich world inhabited by quirky and erudite individuals who quietly shape the way we communicate. Certain to be a delight for all lovers of words, Stamper’s debut will make you laugh as much as it makes you appreciate the wonderful complexities and eccentricities of the English language.