Editors of the Oxford English Dictionary are considering changing
the definition of the word “marriage” to include gay and lesbian
couples.
The announcement comes after England approved a gay marriage law
expected to take effect next summer.
“We continually monitor the words in our dictionaries, paying
particular [attention] to those words whose usage is shifting, so
yes, this will happen with marriage,” an Oxford University Press
spokeswoman told UK LGBT news site Gay
Star News.
“We are constantly monitoring usage in this area in order to
consider what revisions and updates we may need to make,” she
added. “It's worth pointing out that, as the OED is distinct from
other dictionaries in being a historical record of the language,
meanings of the past will remain, even while changes and new ones are
added.”
The dictionary currently defines marriage as being a “formal
union of a man and a woman, typically as recognized by law, by which
they become husband and wife.”
In a reference, the dictionary adds that marriage could also be
“(in some jurisdictions) a union between partners of the same sex.”