In what sense is the OED the definitive record of the English language ?

OED (2011) presents itself as “Oxford English Dictionary | The definitive record of the English language”. Superficially, this claim may seem a marketing slogan, but Simpson’s (2000) preface to the third edition shows that it is a reflection of the editors’ understanding of their dictionary, what may be called their ‘lexicographic ideology’. In this paper, I consider the claim from three perspectives. Section 1 presents the foundations of the claim as formulated in the preface. Section 2 analyses the claim with regard to some relevant insights gained in linguistic theory since work on the first edition of the OED started. Section 3 discusses some of the practical reflections of the ideology of recording as opposed to prescribing. Finally, section 4 formulates some general