First Edition of the OED
The First Edition of the Dictionary was originally issued in short parts or sections—now often called ‘fascicles’—as well as in volumes (and, later, half-volumes). The earliest fascicles were called ‘parts’, and contained over 300 pages. From 1894 it was decided to issue shorter fascicles called ‘sections’; a typical section contained 64 or 72 pages. The aim was to produce at least one section every quarter; sometimes it was possible to issue a ‘double section’, or even on occasion a ‘triple section’, containing twice or three times the usual number of pages. It continued to be possible to purchase the Dictionary in the form of ‘parts’ of roughly the same size as the earliest fascicles, these being generally equivalent to five single sections. Many parts and sections were issued with Prefaces—or, in some cases, short prefatory notes—written by the relevant Editor; in addition, when a volume, or a half-volume, or a particular letter was completed, a separate Preface might be produced for it. This section includes all of the known Prefaces issued during the publication of the First Edition (1884–1928).
Many of the prefaces listed below have been available for some years in printed form as Dispatches from the Front (UW Centre for the New OED, 1987), edited by Dr Darrell Raymond, formerly of the University of Waterloo (Ontario). Dr Raymond has kindly supplemented and reformatted his text for online access.
First Edition staff and contributors
Volume I: A and B
- General Explanations (1884)
- Volume I A and B title page (1888)
- Preface to Volume I A and B (1888)
- Volume I Part I. A-Ant title page (1884)
- Prefatory note to Part I. A-Ant (1884)
- Volume I Part II. Ant-Batten title page (1885)
- Prefatory note to Part II. Ant-Batten (1885)
- Volume I Part III. Batter-Boz title page (1887)
- Prefatory note to Part III. Batter-Boz (1887)
Volume II: C
- Volume II C title page (1893)
- Preface to Volume II C (1893)
- Prefatory note to Part IV. Section II C-Cass (1888)
- Part V. Cast – Clivy title page (1889)
- Prefatory note to Part V. Cast-Clivy (1889)
- Part VI. Clo-Consigner title page (1891)
- Prefatory note to Part VI. Clo-Consigner (1891)
- Part VII. Consignificant-Crouching title page (1893)
- Prefatory note to Part VII. Consignificant-Crouching (1893)
Volume III: D and E
- Volume III D and E title page (1897)
- Preface to Volume III D and E (1897)
- Note to Deceit-Deject
- Note to Deject-Depravation
- Part VIII. Section II D-Depravation title page (1895)
- Prefatory note to Part VIII. Section II D-Depravation (1895)
- Note to Depravative-Development
- Prefatory note to Depravative-Distrustful (1896)
- Note to Development-Diffluency
- Note to Diffluent-Disburden
- Note to Disburden-Disobservant
- Note to Disobst -Distrustful (1897)
- Note to Distrustfully-Doom (1897)
- Prefatory note to the letter E (1893
- Part I. E-Every title page (1891)
- Prefatory note to Part I. E-Every (1891)
Volume IV: F and G
- Volume IV F and G title page (1910)
- Prefatory note to the letter F (1897)
- F-Field title page (1895)
- Prefatory note to F-Field (1895)
- Note to Fanged-Fee
- Note to Fee-Field
- Note to Field-Fish
- Prefatory note to Part III. Field-Frankish (1897)
- Note to Fish-Flexuose
- Note to Flexuosity-Foister
- Note to Foisty-Frankish
- Prefatory note to the letter G (1900)
- Note to Frank-law – Gain-coming
- Prefatory note to Frank-law – Glass-cloth
- Note to Gaincope-Germanizing
- Note to Germano – Glass-cloth
- Note to Glass-Coach-Graded
- Note to Glass-coach-Gyzzarn
- Note to Gradely-Greement
- Note to Green-Gyzzarn
Volume V: H to K
- Volume V H-K title page (1901)
- Preface to Volume V H-K (1901)
- Prefatory note to Part I. H (1899)
- Note to H-Haversian
- Prefatory note to H-Hod (1898)
- Note to Haversine-Heel (1898)
- Note to Heel-Hod (1899)
- Note to Hod-Horizontal (1899)
- Note to Horizontality-Hywe (1899)
- Note to I-In
- Prefatory note to I-Inpushing (1900)
- Note to In-Infer (1900)
- Note to Inferable-Inpushing
- Prefatory notes to Input-Kairine (1901)
- Note to Kaiser-Kyx (1902)
Volume VI: L, M, and N
- Volume VI L, M and N title page (1908)
- Preface to Volume VI (1908)
- Preface to Part I. The letter L (1903)
- Note to L-Lap
- Note to Lap-Leisurely
- Prefatory notes to Leisureness-Lyyn
- Volume VI Part II. M N title page (1908)
- Preface to Part II. The Letter M (1908)
- Prefatory notes to M-Meet
- Prefatory note to Meet-Monopoly
- Prefatory notes to Monopoly-Myzostomous
- Preface to the letter N (1907)
- Note to N-Nywe
Volume VII: O and P
- Volume VII O and P title page (1909)
- Preface to Volume VII O and P (1909)
- Part I. O-PF title page (1905)
- Note to Part I. O-PF (1905)
- Prefatory notes to O-Ozyat
- Prefatory notes to P-Pennached (1904)
- Prefatory notes to Pennage-Plat
- Part II PH-PY title page (1909)
- Prefatory notes to Plat-Premious (1907)
- Prefatory note Premisal-Prophesier
- Prefatory note to Prophesy-Pyxis
Volume VIII: Q, R, and S-Sh
- Note to Volume VIII Q
- Part I. Q and R title page (1910)
- Preface to Part I. Q and R (1910)
- Prefatory notes to Q-Ree
- Volume VIII Q R S-SH title page (1914)
- Prefatory notes to Ree-Ribaldously
- Prefatory note to Ribaldric-Romanite
- Prefatory note to Romanity-Roundness
- Prefatory note to Round-nosed-Ryze
- Part II. S-SH title page (1914)
- Preface to Part II. S-SH (1914)
- Note to S-Sauce
- Note to Sauce-Alone-Scouring
- Note to Scouring-Sedum
- Note to See-Senatory
- Note to Senatory-Several
- Note to Several-Shaster
- Note to Shastri-Shyster (1914)
- Note to S-Sea-Eel
Volume IX: SI – ST and SU – TH
- Preface to Volume IX S (1919)
- Part I. SI-ST title page (1919)
- Prefatory note to Si-Simple
- Prefatory note to Simple-Sleep
- Prefatory note to Sleep-Sniggle
- Prefatory note to Sniggle-Sorrow
- Prefatory note to Sorrow-Speech
- Prefatory note to Speech-Spring
- Prefatory note to Spring-Squoyle
- Note to St-Standard
- Note to Standard-Stead
- Note to Stead-Stillatim
- Note to Stillation-Stratum
- Note to Stratus-Styx
- SU-TH title page (1919)
- Prefatory note to Su-Subterraneous
- Prefatory note to Subterraneously-Sullen
- Prefatory note to Sullen-Supple
- Preface to Part II. SU-SZ (1919)
- Prefatory note to Supple-Sweep
- Prefatory note to Sweep-Szmikite
- Preface to the letter T (1916)
- Prefatory note to T-Tealt
- Prefatory note to Team-Tezkere
- Prefatory note to Th-Thyzle
Volume X: TI – TZ and U
- Volume X Part I. TI-U title page (1926)
- Prefatory note to Ti-Tombac
- Prefatory note to Tombal-Trahysh
- Prefatory note to Traik-Trinity
- Prefatory note to Trink-Turn-Down
- Prefatory note to Turndun-Tzirid
- Preface to the letter U (1926)
- Prefatory note to Part I. U-Unforeseeable
- Prefatory note to Part I. Unforeseeing-Unright
- Prefatory note to Part I. Unright-Uzzle
- Preface to Volume X (1928)
- Part II. V-Z title page (1928)
- Preface to the letter V (1927)
- Prefatory note to Second Half. V-Verificative
- Prefatory note to Second Half. Verificatory-Visor
- Prefatory note to Second Half. Visor-Vywer
- Preface to the letter W (1927)
- Note to Second Half. W-Wash
- Note to Second Half. Wash-Wavy
- Prefatory notes to Second Half. Wavy-Wezzon
- Prefatory note to Second Half. Wh-Whisking
- Prefatory note to Second Half. Whisking-Wilfulness
- Prefatory note to Second Half. Wilga-Wise
- Prefatory note to Second Half. Wise-Wyzen
- Preface to the letters X, Y, Z (1921)
- Preface to X, Y, Z. X-Zyxt (1921)
- Rededication to King George V