In lexicography, antedating is finding earlier citations of a particular term than those already known.
[1][dubious – discuss] Historical dictionaries such as the Oxford English Dictionary provide citations meant to show the evolution of every word, beginning with the earliest known usage.
The issue has thus been addressed in several major studies as well as in hundreds of papers tracing individual words, some of which are by-products of historical or linguistic research.
[3] To encourage and facilitate this process, dedicated submission forms are available on the internet[4] and regular appeals to the public for investigation are being made.
[5] The appeal Wordhunt was part of the TV show Balderdash and Piffle on BBC.