Sexism and language in the dictionary and beyond by Oxford Academic (OUP)

Following a panel discussion - 'Bitch, bint, and maid: exploring sexist language in the dictionary' hosted by Oxford University Press to mark this year's International Women's Day, we got together with Eleanor Maier, Executive Editor on the Oxford English Dictionary, and Professor Helen Taylor, Emeritus Professor of English at the University of Exeter, to carry on the conversation. The conversation was hosted by Ella Percival, Head of Communications for OUP's Academic Division and all-around dictionaries enthusiast.

Eleanor Maier is a lexicographer for the Oxford English Dictionary. She is responsible for the dictionary’s revision group who revise, update, and expand OED content to make sure entries give the clearest, most accurate account of a word's meaning, history, and development.

Helen Taylor is Emeritus Professor of English, University of Exeter, Honorary Fellow of the British Association of American Studies, and Leverhulme Emeritus Fellow 2016-18. She has taught English and American Literature at the universities of Bristol, West of England, Warwick and Exeter (where she was Head of the School of English). She has published widely on English and American literature and culture, and has directed and curated many literary festivals. She was the first Director of the Liverpool Literary Festival. Publications include Scarlett's Women: Gone With the Wind and its Female Fans, The Daphne du Maurier Companion, and Circling Dixie: Contemporary Southern Culture through a Transatlantic Lens. Her latest book is Why Women Read Fiction: The Stories of Our Lives.

Ella Percival is Head of Communications for OUP’s academic publishing. She has worked closely with the Oxford Languages team over a number of years and has observed first-hand the way in which issues of language and gender can be incredibly emotive and spark wide-ranging debate with the general public.

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