James Murray (linguist)

James Murray was a Scottish philologist and lexicographer best known for his role as the primary editor of the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), a comprehensive resource that documents the history and meaning of English words. He began working on the OED in the late 19th century, dedicating decades to compiling and organizing vast amounts of linguistic data. Under his leadership, the dictionary became an authoritative reference, reflecting the evolution of the English language. Murray's meticulous approach and dedication to language significantly influenced how dictionaries are constructed and how we understand the development of words and meanings over time.