Ideas change everything

The joy of lexicography

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Erin McKean |

TED2007

• March 2007

Is the beloved paper dictionary doomed to extinction? In this infectiously exuberant talk, leading lexicographer Erin McKean looks at the many ways today's print dictionary is poised for transformation.

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Is the beloved paper dictionary doomed to extinction? In this infectiously exuberant talk, leading lexicographer Erin McKean looks at the many ways today's print dictionary is poised for transformation.

Want to use TED Talks in your organization?

This talk was presented at an official TED conference.

Read our curation guidelines.

Participate in Wordnik. Help build the world's largest online dictionary.

Connect with Wordnik. Use the API to integrate word definitions and synonyms into your app.

About the speaker

Dictionary editor

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As the co-founder of Reverb Technologies, the maker of the online dictionary Wordnik, Erin McKean is reshaping how we interact with language itself.

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Q&A: The wonders of Wordnik

Read an interview with Erin McKean on the launch of Wordnik — and find out why dictionary editors love Twitter.

This talk was presented at an official TED conference.

Read our curation guidelines.

Participate in Wordnik. Help build the world's largest online dictionary.

Connect with Wordnik. Use the API to integrate word definitions and synonyms into your app.

Erin McKean: The joy of lexicography | TED Talk