Compiling The Oxford Dictionary of African American English: A Progress Report

Abstract

ABSTRACT:This article provides an overview of the progress on the forthcoming Oxford Dictionary of African American English (Oxford University Press), which will be an authoritative resource on the history and usage of thousands of African American English terms. The first part of the dictionary, comprising at least 1,000 senses, will be published digitally in spring 2025 in the form of a website presenting full dictionary entries and a complete bibliography, as well as allowing for the integration of multimedia features. The present article describes the aims, genesis, methodology, and future of the ODAAE and presents four sample entries.