The Invention Of The Modern Dictionary

By Hady Mawajdeh,

Published January 14, 2015 at 12:08 PM EST

This fall marks the 150th anniversary of a landmark in the history of American dictionary making: the creation of the 1864 edition of Webster's Dictionary.

It was the first comprehensive revision of Noah's Webster's Dictionary since his death in 1843. The book has evolved through decades of revisions and additions and now the company will launch an online edition.

Host Frank Stasio talks with John Morse, president and publisher of Merriam-Webster, about dictionary's history and creating a dictionary for the future.

Morse will be speaking tonight at 7 pm at Raleigh's Quail Ridge Books. More information about the event can be found here.

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Hady Mawajdeh

Hady Mawajdeh is a native Texan, born and raised in San Antonio. He listened to Fresh Air growing up and fell in love with public radio. He earned his B.A. in Mass Communication at Texas State University and specialized in electronic media. He worked at NPR affiliate stations KUT and KUTX in Austin, Texas as an intern, producer, social media coordinator, and a late-night deejay.

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Frank Stasio

Longtime NPR correspondent Frank Stasio was named permanent host of The State of Things in June 2006. A native of Buffalo, Frank has been in radio since the age of 19. He began his public radio career at WOI in Ames, Iowa, where he was a magazine show anchor and the station's News Director.

See stories by Frank Stasio