Dord facts for kids
Dord is a very unusual thing called a ghost word. Imagine a word that looks real, but it doesn't actually mean anything! It's like a phantom word that somehow sneaked into a dictionary.
Contents
What is a Ghost Word?
A ghost word is a word that appears in a dictionary or other text by mistake. It has no real meaning or origin. These words are often created because of typos, printing errors, or misunderstandings. They are like a secret, unintended joke hidden in a serious book.
The Story of Dord
The most famous ghost word is "Dord." It appeared by accident in the 1934 edition of the New International Merriam-Webster Dictionary. This dictionary is a huge book that lists and explains thousands of words. So, it was a big surprise to find a word that wasn't supposed to be there!
How Did Dord Appear?
The mistake happened because of a note sent to the dictionary's typesetters. These are the people who arrange the letters and words for printing. The note was meant to say "D or d?" which was a question about how to write a certain word. It was probably asking if a word should start with a capital "D" or a small "d."
However, the note was written in a way that looked like "Dord." The typesetters thought "Dord" was a word that needed to be added to the dictionary. So, they printed it right there, between "Dorcopsis" (a type of kangaroo) and "Doré" (a French artist).
Who Found the Mistake?
The error wasn't noticed right away. It took several years for someone to spot it. In 1939, an editor named Joseph Wright noticed "Dord" in the dictionary. He realized it had no definition and didn't make sense.
Philip Babcock Gove was an important editor at Merriam-Webster. He later became the editor-in-chief of another big dictionary, Webster's Third New International Dictionary. Fifteen years after "Dord" was found, Gove wrote a letter explaining exactly how the mistake happened. He confirmed it was due to the confusing note "D or d?"
A Unique Dictionary Error
"Dord" only appeared in the second edition of the New International Dictionary. Once the mistake was found, it was quickly removed from later printings. This makes "Dord" a very special case. It is the only known ghost word in the entire history of Merriam-Webster's dictionaries. It's a fun reminder that even big, important books can have little accidents!
