Revised 2014

eye dialectnoun

Etymology
Meaning & use
Frequency

Quotations

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Factsheet

What does the noun eye dialect mean?

There is one meaning in OED's entry for the noun eye dialect. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definition, usage, and quotation evidence.

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How common is the noun eye dialect?

Fewer than 0.01occurrences per million words in modern written English

1920	0.0013
1930	0.0016
1940	0.0023
1950	0.0031
1960	0.0037
1970	0.0045
1980	0.0053
1990	0.0057
2000	0.0063
2010	0.0064

See frequency

Where does the noun eye dialect come from?

Earliest known use

1920s

The earliest known use of the noun eye dialect is in the 1920s.

OED's earliest evidence for eye dialect is from 1925, in the writing of George Philip Krapp.

eye dialect is formed within English, by compounding.

Etymons: eye n.1, dialect n.

See etymology

Nearby entries

eye-clipping, n.1930–
eye contact, n.1942–
eye-controlled, adj.1972–
eye copy, n.1870–
eyecraft, n.1640–
eye cup, n.1586–
eyed, adj.Old English–
eye-dawn, n.1820
eye-devouring, n.1873
eyed hawkmoth, n.1720–
eye dialect, n.1925–
eyedness, n.1907–
eye doctor, n.1762–
eye dog, n.1934–
eye-dolp, n.a1522
eye-dot, n.1840–
eye-dotter, n.1873–90
eye-draft, n.1695–
eye drop, n.1600–
eyedropper, n.1891–
eye end, n.1686–

Browse more nearby entries

Etymology

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Frequency

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Entry history for eye dialect, n.

Originally published as part of the entry for eye, n.¹

eye, n.¹ was revised in June 2014.

oed.com is a living text, updated every three months. Modifications may include:

further revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
new senses, phrases, and quotations.

Earlier versions of this entry were published in:

OED First Edition (1894)

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OED Second Edition (1989)

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View eye, n.¹ in OED Second Edition

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Chicago

Oxford English Dictionary, s.v. “,” , .

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“” Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford UP, , .

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Citation details

Factsheet for eye dialect, n.

Browse entry

Nearby entries

eye-clipping, n.1930–
eye contact, n.1942–
eye-controlled, adj.1972–
eye copy, n.1870–
eyecraft, n.1640–
eye cup, n.1586–
eyed, adj.Old English–
eye-dawn, n.1820
eye-devouring, n.1873
eyed hawkmoth, n.1720–
eye dialect, n.1925–
eyedness, n.1907–
eye doctor, n.1762–
eye dog, n.1934–
eye-dolp, n.a1522
eye-dot, n.1840–
eye-dotter, n.1873–90
eye-draft, n.1695–
eye drop, n.1600–
eyedropper, n.1891–
eye end, n.1686–

Browse more nearby entries