▁ 2 0 1 6 ) ▁was ▁Emer it us ▁Professor ▁of ▁English ▁Language ▁and ▁Honor ary ▁Professor ial ▁Research ▁Fellow ▁in ▁English ▁Language ▁and ▁L ingu istics ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Glasgow . ▁She ▁was ▁an ▁editor , ▁with ▁her ▁ment or ▁Michael ▁Sam u els , ▁of ▁the ▁world ' s ▁largest ▁and ▁first ▁historical ▁th es aur us , ▁the ▁Historical ▁Th es aur us ▁of ▁English , ▁first ▁published ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁as ▁the ▁Historical ▁Th es aur us ▁of ▁the ▁Oxford ▁English ▁Dictionary ▁( HT O ED ), ▁a ▁project ▁to ▁which ▁she ▁dedicated ▁ 4 0 ▁years ▁( 1 9 6 9 ▁to ▁ 2 0 0 9 ). ▁ ▁Kay ▁also ▁founded ▁the ▁Scottish ▁Cor pus ▁of ▁Text s ▁and ▁Spe ech ▁and ▁published ▁work ▁on ▁historical ▁semantics ▁and ▁lex ic ography , ▁and ▁contributed ▁met ap hor ▁and ▁semantic ▁annotation ▁based ▁projects ▁on ▁the ▁Historical ▁Th es aur us ▁of ▁English ▁dataset . ▁ ▁Biography ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁ ▁Kay ▁was ▁educated ▁at ▁The ▁Mary ▁Er sk ine ▁School ▁in ▁Edinburgh . ▁She ▁completed ▁a ▁MA ▁in ▁English ▁Language ▁and ▁Liter ature ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Edinburgh , ▁before ▁continu ing ▁on ▁to ▁Mount ▁Holy oke ▁College , ▁Massachusetts , ▁USA . ▁ ▁After ▁this ▁Kay ▁took ▁on ▁English ▁language ▁teaching ▁in ▁Sweden , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁professional ▁lex ic ography . ▁ ▁Professional ▁career ▁ ▁Kay ▁first ▁arrived ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Glasgow ▁as ▁a ▁research ▁assistant . ▁At ▁the ▁age