You down with OED? Yeah, you know me!
Jun. 5th, 2006 06:00 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
weaktwosI love the Oxford English Dictionary. I own a copy of it on CD. Unfortunately, that ensures I don't get free updates. I forget what the individual annual subscription was, but it was prohibitively expensive. I do, however, subscribe to the OED word-a-day. Which is moderately interesting. Why is it interesting? Because it gives you the word history. The word itself might be rather common, but how it was originally used that justified its addition to the dictionary is kind of fun.
Take the word "motorkhana". As you can see below, it's first known usage was 1967. Then it shows up again in 1981 in the Financial review. I'm unsure if there's a reason why they didn't quote a source between 67 and 81, but I think it unlikely that it didn't show up in a publication between those times. This gets really fun with old words, with some that show up in print in the 1200s or so.
Good word geeky fun.
However, they are still pretty darned expensive. I saw a link in this morning's email that I should check out their new, more affordable annual subscription. Wow! Only $295 a year. Yeah, how deep is my love for the OED? Not that deep.
motorkhana, n. DRAFT ENTRY Dec. 2002
Chiefly Austral. and N.Z.
Brit. /mtkn/, U.S. /modrkn/ Forms: 19- motorkana, motorkhana. [< MOTOR n. + -khana (in GYMKHANA n.).]
A motoring competition designed to test a variety of driving skills, and often comprising a series of events. Cf. GYMKHANA n.
1967 Courier-Mail (Brisbane) 16 Mar. 14 The Queensland V.W. Club has selected 15 crews to represent the State against New South Wales in the motorkana at Brookfield. 1981 Financial Rev. (Austral.) 24 Apr. 38/1 The motorkhana was won by Kevin Jarman in his Porsche 911 Carrera Targa. 1991 Outrage Feb. 86/3 (advt.) Activities vary from video nights to motorkhanas. 2000 Even. Post (Wellington, N.Z.) (Nexis) 27 Apr. 27 Brader competes in races, sprints and motorkhanas in a 1950s TF and a 1963 Midget, and has won the Pierson Cup for motorkhana competition five times.
Take the word "motorkhana". As you can see below, it's first known usage was 1967. Then it shows up again in 1981 in the Financial review. I'm unsure if there's a reason why they didn't quote a source between 67 and 81, but I think it unlikely that it didn't show up in a publication between those times. This gets really fun with old words, with some that show up in print in the 1200s or so.
Good word geeky fun.
However, they are still pretty darned expensive. I saw a link in this morning's email that I should check out their new, more affordable annual subscription. Wow! Only $295 a year. Yeah, how deep is my love for the OED? Not that deep.
motorkhana, n. DRAFT ENTRY Dec. 2002
Chiefly Austral. and N.Z.
Brit. /mtkn/, U.S. /modrkn/ Forms: 19- motorkana, motorkhana. [< MOTOR n. + -khana (in GYMKHANA n.).]
A motoring competition designed to test a variety of driving skills, and often comprising a series of events. Cf. GYMKHANA n.
1967 Courier-Mail (Brisbane) 16 Mar. 14 The Queensland V.W. Club has selected 15 crews to represent the State against New South Wales in the motorkana at Brookfield. 1981 Financial Rev. (Austral.) 24 Apr. 38/1 The motorkhana was won by Kevin Jarman in his Porsche 911 Carrera Targa. 1991 Outrage Feb. 86/3 (advt.) Activities vary from video nights to motorkhanas. 2000 Even. Post (Wellington, N.Z.) (Nexis) 27 Apr. 27 Brader competes in races, sprints and motorkhanas in a 1950s TF and a 1963 Midget, and has won the Pierson Cup for motorkhana competition five times.
