Describes the conversion of the 22,000-page Oxford English Dictionary to an electronic version incorporating a modified Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML) syntax. Explains that the database designers chose structured markup because it supports users' data searching needs, allows textual components to be extracted or modified, and allows…

Discusses the development of the "Dictionary of Old English," a database of approximately three million running words. Examines how technological advancements have changed the design process since it began in 1970, stating that error checking and protection of the database against accidental intrusion have remained as key issues. (GEA)

Important characteristics of lexical databases and their applications in information retrieval and natural language processing are explained. An ongoing project using various machine-readable sources to build a lexical database is described, and detailed designs of individual entries with examples are included. (Contains 66 references.) (EAM)