The history of the origin and development of language is studied by a significant branch of linguistics, such as lexicography. Dictionaries allow us to study the ancient linguistic history of nations. Therefore, lexicography is considered one of the most important branches of linguistics. The oldest known dictionary is a set of cuneiform tablets containing bilingual Sumerian-Akkadian word lists dating back to approximately 2300 BC, discovered in the ruins of the ancient city-state of Ebla in modern-day Syria (70 km south of Aleppo, in the present-day Tell-Mardih region). Many sources cite the Chinese dictionary Erya from the 3rd century BC as the first explanatory dictionary. However, monolingual Sumerian dictionaries are also reported to have been found in ancient Ebla.

The early development period of English lexicography is considered the 14th century. At this time, new bilingual dictionaries were produced. The Wright-Wülcker Latin-English Dictionary is one of the most important dictionaries of the 15th century. The first monolingual English dictionary to provide words with their English equivalents was published in 1604. Since 1721, dictionaries have prioritized discussing pronunciation and etymology issues in England. An Universal Etymological English Dictionary can be cited as the best example of that period. In the first half of the 20th century, the history of lexicography emerged as an independent scientific field based on English and American examples.

The golden age of English lexicography is considered the late 19th century. The Oxford English Dictionary proposed by the English Philological Society was compiled during this period. The first proposal put forward in 1857 by the Philological Society of London, a body dedicated to the scientific study of language, was to eliminate the deficiency of English dictionaries and compile a “New English Dictionary” (as it was originally called). Led by Richard Chenevix Trench, Herbert Coleridge, and Frederick Furnivall, this project, which aimed to revise the English language from the Anglo-Saxon period onwards, required a great deal of time and hard work. The dictionary was to be based on factual evidence of words in use, drawn from printed sources from all periods of the history of the English language. Therefore, the project leaders had to gather a group of volunteer readers to research English literature, illustrate the use of words, and extract quotes. However, little progress was made after the death of the main project leader, Herbert Coleridge, in 1861. James Murray, a member of the English Philological Society, was appointed as the new editor. As editor of the dictionary, he revived the voluntary reading program. He established a small staff in an iron shed called the Scriptorium, first at his home in Mill Hill, London, and later at his home in Oxford. Three additional editors were appointed to work alongside Murray. Henry Bradley, William Craigie, and Charles Onions each worked on different sections of the alphabet, with their groups of assistants. Five years after Oxford University Press agreed to publish the work in 1879, the first version of the English-to-English explanatory dictionary was first published on February 1, 1884, under the title "A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles." The main purpose of compiling this dictionary was to identify the forms of English words in Old English, demonstrate when they entered the language, and study their meanings in a historical context to trace their development. Instead of 6,400 pages in four volumes as originally planned by James Murray, ten volumes of English words in use from the twelfth century to the present, containing more than 250,000 main entries and nearly 2 million quotations, were published, volume 10 concluded on April 19, 1928.  The work to which Murray dedicated his life represented an achievement unprecedented in the history of publishing anywhere in the world. Sadly, neither Murray nor Bradley lived to see the book completed.

In 1933, the New English Dictionary (NED) was republished as the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) in 12 volumes and supplements by the Clarendon Press in Oxford. After the Second World War, Oxford University Press decided to re-establish the headquarters of the OED. The work, intended to be a single volume of approximately 1,300 pages, taking seven years to complete starting in 1957, was published between 1972 and 1986, becoming a four-volume work of nearly 5,750 pages.

In the early 1990s, the Press considered bringing this monumental dictionary into the modern age. First, it was decided to combine the first edition and supplements, which required converting the data into electronic form. A team led by editors John Simpson and Edmund Weiner reviewed, corrected, and edited the new electronic text and added 5,000 new words, managing to accomplish about 85% of the work with software.

The Oxford English Dictionary, which began publication by Oxford University Press in 1998, is not based on previous versions and is considered a continuation of the same series. However, the OED is the most comprehensive English dictionary today, with over 350,000 words. The Oxford English Dictionary is a living document that has been growing and constantly changing for over a century and a half. The Oxford English Dictionary is historically significant as one of the most comprehensive publications in lexicography and is continuously updated in electronic form. The Oxford English Dictionary is as relevant today as it was in the past, and it not only provides an important record of the evolution of the English language but is also considered an inimitable work that bears witness to the continuous development of English-speaking society.

Recommended literature:

1. Terminologiya məsələləri: toplu /AMEA, Terminologiya Komissiyası ; red. S. Sadıqova ; red. hey. A. Əlizadə [və b.]. - Bakı: Elm, 2013. - 180 s.
2. Гальперин, Р. Лексикология английского языка /Р.Гальперин. - Москва: [s.n.], 1956. - 297 c.
3. Орембовская, Мария Николаевна. English lexicology/М. Н. Орембовская, Т. С. Гварджаладзе, Т. Н. Орембовская. - Тбилиси: Цодна, 1964. - 132 с.