Once a word enters the dictionary, it stays forever
In short: Is the English language a revolving door of vocabulary? This video explores the permanence of lexicography, explaining why words that fall out of common usage are rarely purged from official records.
The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) serves as a comprehensive historical record of the English language. Because it functions as a repository of linguistic history, it intentionally preserves thousands of words that are now considered completely obsolete.
Lexicographers view the dictionary as a "Hotel California" of linguistics: once a word is officially recorded, it can never leave. This means that while a word may disappear from daily conversation, its place in the dictionary remains permanent.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Do Words Get Removed from a Dictionary When People Stop Using Them?
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