Release notes: new features

Word frequency in search results

In December 2015 we introduced frequency indicators for all non-obsolete entries (see further details). We have now extended this feature to display frequency in search results as well as in the entries themselves. The frequency indicator is shown in the right-hand column of the results list, adjacent to the entry date. You can sort results by frequency (high to low) by clicking ‘Sort by: Frequency’ at the top of the results page.

This feature is provided for results for Quick Search and entry-based Advanced Search. It does not apply to results for sense- and quotation-based Advanced Search.

Links from quotations to full context

For a number of quotations, you can now view the passage from which the quotation is taken. Click on the ‘book’ icon that appears at the end of selected quotations. This opens a pop-up showing the context in which the quotation appears, centred on the quotation itself:

At the bottom of the pop-up is a link to the same passage in the full text in Oxford Scholarly Editions Online (OSEO). This will usually give more information about the passage, including textual and linguistic commentary. Note that you will only be able to follow the link if your institution has a subscription to OSEO.

The text shown in the pop-up is taken from the OSEO edition, which may not always be identical to the edition that OED quotes from. For example, for Shakespeare’s plays, OED quotes directly from the original quarto or First Folio editions, whereas OSEO uses recent editions which may modernize spelling and make other textual adjustments.

For the June 2016 release, we have introduced this feature to a small number of major sources in the 17^th, 18^th, and early 19^th centuries, including Shakespeare’s plays and verse, John Milton’s major poems, and Jane Austen’s novels. In future releases we will extend coverage to a wider range of sources.