A research editor of the first Macquarie Dictionary has written a book detailing the story of how the dictionary was brought to life.

More than Words: The Making of the Macquarie Dictionary Author, Pat Manser, told 6PR’s Gareth Parker the Dictionary incorporated Australian jargon with the basic core of the English vocabulary.

“It started in the 60s with a sort of feeling that there was a need for a comprehensive dictionary for Australian English,” she said.

“We weren’t trying to tell people how to write or how to speak, we were trying to record what they wrote and what they spoke.”

Click play to hear the full interview. 

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