description Philip Gove Overview
Philip Gove was an American lexicographer best known for serving as the editor-in-chief of Webster's Third New International Dictionary, published in 1961. Under his leadership, the dictionary adopted a strictly descriptive linguistic approach, aiming to record how the English language was actually used rather than dictating how it should be used. This methodology was highly controversial at the time of publication, as it removed many encyclopedic elements and traditional usage labels previously found in dictionaries. Despite the criticism, his work significantly influenced modern lexicography.
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What is Philip Gove most famous for?
Philip Gove was an American lexicographer best known for serving as the editor-in-chief of Webster's Third New International Dictionary, published in 1961. The dictionary was a landmark publication in the field of lexicography.
What made Philip Gove's Webster's Third dictionary so controversial?
Under Gove's leadership, the dictionary adopted a strictly descriptive linguistic approach, aiming to record how the English language was actually used rather than prescribing how it should be used. This sparked outrage among traditionalists because it removed labels like colloquial for words the establishment deemed improper.
When did Philip Gove work on the Webster's Third?
Gove worked on the dictionary for over a decade, taking over the project in the early 1950s before its publication in 1961. He utilized thousands of citation slips documenting real-world English usage to inform the definitions.
Where did Philip Gove work as a lexicographer?
Gove worked for the G. & C. Merriam Company, which is now known as Merriam-Webster. He transformed the company's editorial policies and helped modernize the process of dictionary making in America.
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