The Dictionary of Lost Words (Lead Title)

PFS Book Club --- 7th Dec 24 On Saturday we discussed book called “The dictionary of lost words” by Pip Williams. This book is fictional book and was written in 2020. Tis book is about the girl Ezme who spends her time in scriptorium, a garden shed in oxford where her father Murray and other dedicated people collect words for the first oxford English dictionary. During playing she found one slip carrying word bondmaid, she took the slip and kept it in her old wooden box. Book also talks about her servant maid called Lizzie with whom she develops special bond and who helps her in building this lost words dictionary. She starts collecting other words which are discarded or neglected by dictionary men. Lizzie realizes that some words are more important than others and words and meanings related to women are unrecorded. She was involved in work of oxford dictionary, but she also starts collecting words for other dictionary called dictionary of lost words. This book was set when the women’s suffrage movement was at its height. Aunty mentioned that in 1857 society was formed to list words as a form of dictionary. In 1928 first oxford dictionary was formed, and second edition was launched in 1989. Third edition will be launched in 2037. Though supplements get added every year, but edition don’t get revised. It was also discussed that may be some words meaning also gets changed in different editions. For example, word sisterhood which we all feel is very positive but in 1928 edition it was defined as females having common aim often in bad sense. I googled latest oxford meaning and now it shows positive meaning. Aunty also mentioned that during launch of first dictionary no women was invited and only three women were present in balcony to see men eating. We discussed many facets of English language and how meanings got twisted in various parts of india.