Newsgroups: comp.text
Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!wrf
From: wrf@mab.ecse.rpi.edu (Wm Randolph Franklin)
Subject: Re: OED in machine readable form
Message-ID: <2s_gdkb@rpi.edu>
Nntp-Posting-Host: mab.ecse.rpi.edu
Organization: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy NY
References: <1578@physiol.su.oz.au>
Date: 3 Apr 91 20:12:38 GMT
Lines: 18

In article <1578@physiol.su.oz.au> on 3 Apr 91 02:14:06 GMT
daved@physiol.su.oz.au (Dave Davey) asks about the OED on CD.

Last I heard, the OED was using a Sun at Waterloo to maintain their
database as a digital search tree (trie).  I saw a demo once; I've never
seen a file with a 9 digit length (600MB) before.  It allows quick
retrievals on word combos as well as individual words.  Their standard
example is to find an entry that refers to both frogs and cows, or some
such.  (It's a word from Homer.)  The OED took 100 man-years to type in
when they computerized it.

That is what they should make available, but they probably never will
since then anyone could copy it.  Oh well.
-- 
						   Wm. Randolph Franklin
Internet: wrf@ecse.rpi.edu (or @cs.rpi.edu)    Bitnet: Wrfrankl@Rpitsmts
Telephone: (518) 276-6077;  Telex: 6716050 RPI TROU; Fax: (518) 276-6261
Paper: ECSE Dept., 6026 JEC, Rensselaer Polytechnic Inst, Troy NY, 12180