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Internet may wipe out printed OED
The next Oxford English Dictionary (OED) may not be made available in print, as the publishers are likely to release only an online version of the upcoming third edition.
Currently, a team of 80 lexicographers are working on the forthcoming edition of the authoritative guide to the English language, with about 28% being completed so far.
The second edition was published in 1989, while the first complete multi-volume dictionary came in 1928.
The growing popularity of the digital version of the OED may eventually phase out its printed format, it is indicated.
An Oxford University Press spokeswoman said: "No decision has yet been made on the format of the third edition. It is likely to be more than a decade before the full edition is published and a decision on format will be taken at that point.
"Demand for online resources is growing but large numbers of people continue to purchase dictionaries in printed form and we have no plans to stop publishing print dictionaries."
About 500 dictionaries, thesauruses and language reference titles are produced by Oxford University Press.
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