| Join Peter Sokolowski, Merriam-Webster's Editor-at-Large, in exploring the changing world of language and lexicography over Zoom at noon on Monday, Dec. 6th. Sign up for "The Dictionary as Data: What the Online Dictionary Tells Us About English" through Eventbrite using this private invitation link.
What makes a person look up a word? When do you use a dictionary? Looking up a word in the dictionary is an intimate act for each of us as individuals, but the words looked up by millions of users tell us a surprising story about the English language. The search patterns of words tell us about the intersection of vocabulary and culture. Our Winter Presentation speaker, Peter Sokolowski, joined Merriam-Webster in 1994 as the company's first French-language editor, and has since written definitions for many of the company's dictionaries. He also contributes blog articles, podcasts, and videos for the online dictionary, and his writing has appeared in Slate, The New York Times, and The Washington Post. He is a frequent guest on national radio and television, and was named among TIME's 140 Best Twitter Feeds of 2013. He leads workshops on dictionaries and the English language for the U.S. State Department, and serves as pronouncer for spelling bees worldwide. He is the co-host of Word Matters, a podcast about words by dictionary editors. Peter attended the University of Paris and earned his M.A. in French Literature at the University of Massachusetts. He is also a freelance musician and a music host at New England Public Radio. |