How lexicons are compiled - Revision history

Judycole: 2021-08-02 - Fixed breaks - also, in previous edits, changed OTCWL to NWL

2021-08-02T16:27:58Z

2021-08-02 - Fixed breaks - also, in previous edits, changed OTCWL to NWL

Judycole: 2021-08-02 - Changed SCRABBLE to Scrabble

2021-08-02T16:26:51Z

2021-08-02 - Changed SCRABBLE to Scrabble

Judycole: 2019-05-12 - Changed OTCWL to NWL

2019-05-12T21:20:01Z

2019-05-12 - Changed OTCWL to NWL

Poslfit: updated for 2018

2018-12-19T20:41:53Z

updated for 2018

Tapani: committee renamed

2010-09-09T18:35:54Z

committee renamed

Jpate at 22:19, 29 January 2010

2010-01-29T22:19:37Z

Tapani: link

2010-01-25T17:54:35Z

link

Poslfit: New page: This article on '''how lexicons are compiled''' was originally edited from email messages sent by Jim Pate, chair of the Dictionary Committee. The reason that words like UQUQ, ZE...

2010-01-25T16:44:11Z

New page: This article on '''how lexicons are compiled''' was originally edited from email messages sent by Jim Pate, chair of the Dictionary Committee. The reason that words like UQUQ, ZE...

New page

This article on '''how lexicons are compiled''' was originally
edited from email messages sent by [[Jim Pate]], chair of the
[[Dictionary Committee]].

The reason that words like UQUQ, ZEN, and CUZ are not in the [[Official SCRABBLE Players Dictionary]] nor in the [[Official Tournament
and Club Word List]] is that they have not appeared as lower
case, non-apostrophized, non-hyphenated, non-foreign, single-word
entries in any of the source dictionaries that were used to create
and to update these official SCRABBLE lists. The four college level
source dictionaries used to create the OSPD4 and the OWL2 were:

* Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 11th edition
* American Heritage College Dictionary, 4th edition
* Webster's New World College Dictionary, 4th edition
* Random-House Webster's College Dictionary, 2000 2nd revised and updated Random House edition

Also, for the original OSPD one other source dictionary (Funk &
Wagnall's Standard College Dictionary, 1974) was one of five sources
used, and some words from earlier editions of the OSPD have been
grandfathered as explained in the [[Dictionary Committee]] page.
Since these sources are all abridged dictionaries many valid words
that are not as frequently used do not appear in them.

The best way to get words into a future edition of the Official
SCRABBLE Players Dictionary (and the Official Tournament and Club
Word List) is to convince the editors at Merriam-Webster to add
them to Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary which has always
been one of the source dictionaries for the OSPD official words.

Jim Lowe, Senior Editor at Merriam-Webster, Inc. suggests sending
a dozen or so documented print usages of the proposed words to them
for their citation files. Google Books is a great way to find citations.
At that point the editors will do additional research to determine
the advisability of inclusion of the new terms into Merriam-Webster's
Collegiate Dictionary.

The mailing address is:

Merriam-Webster, Inc.
47 Federal Street
P.O. Box 281
Springfield, MA 01102

When the next edition of the Official SCRABBLE Players Dictionary
is done the new words that have made their way into Merriam-Webster's
Collegiate Dictionary should then be incorporated into the OSPD and
thus become legal words for tournament and club play.

In international play, a similar process is followed by HarperCollins
Publishing to prepare the larger [[SOWPODS|Official Scrabble Words]]
lexicon. Comments concerning that list should be directed to the
[[NASPA-WESPA Liaison Committee]] for forwarding to the [[WESPA]]
Dictionary Committee.

As for your group using these words as you play, that's the great
thing about SCRABBLE Brand Crossword Game — if you and your opponents
agree on the dictionary or word list you want to use then you are
by all means free to do so. Of course, if you play at an NSA club
or sanctioned tournament then the word list used for adjudication
there would be the OWL2 or . (If you cannot get all of the people in
your group to allow these words in all the games you play, you might
want to suggest including them as acceptable in a certain percentage
of designated games. It could be a fun variation for your group
from time to time.)

We hope that you and your friends continue
to enjoy playing SCRABBLE Brand Crossword Game whatever word source you
choose to use.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 This article on '''how lexicons are compiled''' was originally
-edited from email messages sent by [[Jim Pate]], chair of the
+edited from email messages sent by [[Jim Pate]], former chair of the
 [[Dictionary Committee]].
 For a more technical discussion of how [[NWL2018]] was edited,
 see the [[NWL2018 editorial process]].
-The reason that words like UQUQ (filial impiety), NOIO (a Hawaiian bird) or MONOID (a type of mathematical set) are not in the [[Official SCRABBLE Players Dictionary]] (OSPD) nor in the [[Official Tournament and Club Word List]] (OWL) is that they have not been found listed appropriately in any of the source dictionaries that were used to create
+The reason that words like UQUQ (filial impiety), NOIO (a Hawaiian bird) or MONOID (a type of mathematical set) are not in the [[Official SCRABBLE Players Dictionary]] (OSPD) nor in the [[NASPA Word List]] (NWL) is that they have not been found listed appropriately in any of the source dictionaries that were used to create
-and to update these official SCRABBLE lists.
+and to update these word lists.
 &rdquo;Appropriately&ldquo; here means that a word must appear at least once without any of the following disqualifications:
@@ Line 32: / Line 32: @@
 The best way to get words into a future edition of the Official
-SCRABBLE Players Dictionary (and the Official Tournament and Club
+SCRABBLE Players Dictionary (and the NASPA Word List) is to convince the editors at Merriam-Webster to add them to Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary which has always been one of the source dictionaries for the OSPD official words.
 Jim Lowe, past Senior Editor at Merriam-Webster, Inc. suggested sending
@@ Line 52: / Line 49: @@
 When the next edition of the Official SCRABBLE Players Dictionary
-is done the new words that have made their way into Merriam-Webster's
+is done, the new words that have made their way into Merriam-Webster's
 Collegiate Dictionary should then be incorporated into the OSPD and
 thus become legal words for tournament and club play.
@@ Line 63: / Line 60: @@
 As for your group using these words as you play, that's the great
-thing about SCRABBLE Brand Crossword Game &mdash; if you and your opponents
+thing about Scrabble; if you and your opponents
 agree on the dictionary or word list you want to use then you are
 by all means free to do so. Of course, if you play at a NASPA club
 or sanctioned tournament then the word list used for adjudication
-there would be the current edition of [[OTCWL]]. (If you cannot get all of the people in
+there would be the current edition of [[NWL]]. (If you cannot get all of the people in
 your group to allow these words in all the games you play, you might
 want to suggest including them as acceptable in a certain percentage
@@ Line 74: / Line 71: @@
 We hope that you and your friends continue
-to enjoy playing SCRABBLE Brand Crossword Game whatever word source you
+to enjoy playing Scrabble whatever word source you
 choose to use.

@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 edited from email messages sent by [[Jim Pate]], chair of the
 [[Dictionary Committee]].
-For a more technical discussion of how [[OTCWL2018]] was edited,
+For a more technical discussion of how [[NWL2018]] was edited,
-see the [[OTCWL2018 editorial process]].
+see the [[NWL2018 editorial process]].
 The reason that words like UQUQ (filial impiety), NOIO (a Hawaiian bird) or MONOID (a type of mathematical set) are not in the [[Official SCRABBLE Players Dictionary]] (OSPD) nor in the [[Official Tournament and Club Word List]] (OWL) is that they have not been found listed appropriately in any of the source dictionaries that were used to create

@@ Line 15: / Line 15: @@
 * labelled as an abbreviation
 * appearing as part of a phrase
+<BR>
 The four college level
 source dictionaries used to create the [[OSPD4]] and the [[OWL2]] were:
@@ Line 23: / Line 23: @@
 * Webster's New World College Dictionary, 4th edition
 * Random-House Webster's College Dictionary, 2000 2nd revised and updated Random House edition
+<BR>
 Also, for the original OSPD one other source dictionary (Funk &
 Wagnall's Standard College Dictionary, 1974) was one of five sources

@@ Line 49: / Line 49: @@
 Publishing to prepare the larger [[SOWPODS|Official Scrabble Words]]
 lexicon.  Comments concerning that list should be directed to the
-[[NASPA-WESPA Liaison Committee]] for forwarding to the [[WESPA]]
+[[International Committee]] for forwarding to the [[WESPA]]
 Dictionary Committee.

@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 [[Dictionary Committee]].
-The reason that words like UQUQ, ZEN, and CUZ are not in the [[Official SCRABBLE Players Dictionary]] nor in the [[Official Tournament and Club Word List]] is that they have not appeared as lower
+The reason that words like UQUQ, ZEN, and CUZ are not in the [[Official SCRABBLE Players Dictionary]] (OSPD) nor in the [[Official Tournament and Club Word List]] (OWL) is that they have not appeared as lower
 case, non-apostrophized, non-hyphenated, non-foreign, single-word
 entries in any of the source dictionaries that were used to create
@@ Line 55: / Line 55: @@
 thing about SCRABBLE Brand Crossword Game &mdash; if you and your opponents
 agree on the dictionary or word list you want to use then you are
-by all means free to do so. Of course, if you play at an NSA club
+by all means free to do so. Of course, if you play at a NASPA club
 or sanctioned tournament then the word list used for adjudication
-there would be the OWL2 or . (If you cannot get all of the people in
+there would be the OWL2. (If you cannot get all of the people in
 your group to allow these words in all the games you play, you might
 want to suggest including them as acceptable in a certain percentage