Thoughts on The Oxford English Dictionary as an investment for myself and my family?
I have a two-volume copy (that comes with a magnifying glass) and I never use it. Looks pretty on a shelf, but that's about it. Unless it's in an accessible place and you know that you'll use it, b/c you use a dictionary already, I don't think it's necessary. Whenever I want to look up a word I google it and that suits me fine 99% of the time.
More on reddit.comIs the OED now available for free online? - English Language & Usage Meta Stack Exchange
The Oxford English dictionary online is too expensive : dictionary
Lawyer slams Oxford English Dictionary for including Māori kupu
I'm so burnt out on this shit, I no longer care who includes what where. Especially when people get outraged at more people/things being included.
More on reddit.comI'm highly considering purchasing the OED as an investment in literary history and as well to be the cornerstone of my reference library. I'm wondering who owns the set and what you think of it, and whether or not it's worth the investment?
I have a two-volume copy (that comes with a magnifying glass) and I never use it. Looks pretty on a shelf, but that's about it. Unless it's in an accessible place and you know that you'll use it, b/c you use a dictionary already, I don't think it's necessary. Whenever I want to look up a word I google it and that suits me fine 99% of the time.
I have a copy and refer to it frequently.
However, I am puzzled by the reasons you give. It is not an investment in the sense of making money. You will never be able to sell it for more than you pay for it. Very few people with an internet connection need a reference library.
If you would enjoy owning it (I do), buy it but remember that it will be a cost that might pay back in satisfaction but probably not in any other way.
OED isn't free; or at least, they don't make everything available.
The "factsheet" tab is generally available, but other tabs may not be. For example, without logging in I can't get very far with enthuse.
Some words do have complete information available free. Today's Word of the Day is ramgunschoch and that does have full information available for free. It's possible that previous Words of the Day remain free too, and some other words may not require a login either.
Other Oxford dictionaries, for example the Oxford Learners' Dictionary do offer more complete information freely.
You can obtain a free subscription through your library, at least in the UK. You need to go to a library and provide a proof of address. Then they give you a library card. You can register with the name of your library and the number on your library card.