Oxford English Dictionary Assignment

ENG 3310 Writing Assignment #1: Using the Oxford English Dictionary
The first writing assignment in ENG 3310 asks you to explore the Oxford English Dictionary (OED). Step 1 First, if you have not explored the OED online through the UHV library, spend about 30 minutes or so trying out different words. Here are the directions for accessing the OED:
At the right on the homepage for your Blackboard courses is a set of Campus Bookmarks. One of those bookmarks is for the library. (You will also find a link to the library on the UHV homepage.) Once you click on that link, follow these two steps:
• To the right under “Quick Links”, click on “List of all Databases A to Z.”
• Then scroll down to the Oxford English Dictionary.
You will need to login to use the database. Your login is the same as the one you use for Learn 9 and UHV e-mail.
Step 2 Inside ch. 7 in How English Works, read the section on “Process of Semantic Change” (pp. 222 -228), which discusses how the meanings of words changes over time. When you look up your words in the OED, you may find that the meaning of a word has become more generalized over the years of more specialized. You might also learn that a word that initially had a neutral meaning now has a more negative meaning. Step 3 In your essay you will write about the histories of four words that you choose. Here are my guidelines for choosing those words:
• Choose the base form of a word, one without prefixes/suffixes. For example, instead of choosing agitation, which ends in the suffix -ion, choose agitate, or instead of choosing realignment, which contains both a prefix and a suffix, choose align.
• Avoid choosing words with minimal entries. The point of the assignment is to be able to see how a word changes over time. If you choose the words with the shortest entries available, then you are not fulfilling the spirit of the assignment.
You can search by word or by category. To search by word, just enter the word in the “search” box. If you want to do a category search, click “Categories” on the homepage. Then you can choose to search by subject area. i.e. under “Crafts and Trades,” I can search for terms on “Textiles” or “Printing and Typography.” You can also search “Humorous” terms under “Usage.” where you can browse entries for words/terms such as “Alpha Male” or “blonde moment.” You can also search by “Region” or “Origin.” If I
click on “Creoles and Pidgins” under “Origin,” I can find entries for words such as “calaboose” and “mambo.”
Planning and Preparing Your Essay
Examine the historical meanings of your four words in the OED and think about how the words are used today. Write an essay in which you trace the changes in their meanings through the years. Do not simply cut and paste information from the OED to create your essay. I am looking for a thoughtful discussion about word meanings and their changes through time. Use the information on pp. 222-228 in your text to guide you in talking about changes in word meanings over the years.
Do not simply use a numbered list to respond in your essay. I am looking for an interesting essay on word histories. Answer the following questions about each word in your essay:
• What words did you choose and why did you choose them?
• When did each word enter the language and what is its language of origin?
• What spelling variations did you find?
• Has the meaning of the word changed through the years? If so, how? (Try to label the type of change according to the pages you read in the chapter on “Semantics.” You may not be sure if the type of change fits any of the categories discussed in our text, but give it a try.)
• What are examples of the use of this word through the years?
• What word compounds does it appear with? (For example, to the right of “bird,” I can find entries for “birdwitted” and “bird-brained.”)
• What surprised you, if anything, about the meaning of this word?
Begin your essay with a short introduction, explaining which words you looked at and providing a general statement about your findings. End with a brief conclusion that tells what you learned in investigating word meanings in the OED. Your essay should discuss the full range of meanings, not just highlight one or two, as well as mention relevant phrases and compound expressions that the word appears in.