6.09.2010

\ˈdik-shə-ˌner-ē, -ˌne-rē\

That would be the pronunciation of Dictionary for all of those who are wondering about the title of this post.

I know...this probably sounds like the most boring topic in the world. But it's not...trust me....

Most of us just go online to Merriam-Webster's online dictionary (and thesaurus) to find our definitions, right? Well, that's me at any rate...if I can find it online, I use it. However, guess what I found? It's not always the most authoritative source! There are better dictionaries out there ... I know you are speechless at this point. ; )

I'm not knocking M-W - it's a good one. Let's just say you are looking for a little more than just the definition. Maybe you want a more historical perspective, variations in spelling - that sort of thing. The Oxford English Dictionary is your new best friend! The fully online version is only available through a subscription service so you may want to go see the reference librarian at the local college or university.

As a side note...Dictionaries are either general, general abridged or etymological, like OED. However, they can use descriptive language to explain a word or they can be prescriptive. Webster's or American Heritage are examples of dictionaries that use prescriptive language.

Below are some comparisons that I hope help you the next time you are in need of a good dictionary:

Oxford English Dictionary - descriptive, historical in order of word's development and usage
American Heritage - prescriptive, gives most accepted meaning first
Webster' New World College Dictionary - prescriptive, gives some historical order of the word's development and usage
Webster's Third new International Dictionary of the English Language (unabridged) - descriptive and historical

Of course, these are general dictionaries...there are also more subject specific dictionaries in art, music, biographies, etc. That's my next post....

Peace out - A

Resources:
http://www.merriam-webster.com/
http://dictionary.reference.com/
http://www.askoxford.com/ (OED compact - not full subscriber version)

Ps...A good dictionary will run anywhere from $60 (Amer. Heritage) to $1000 (for 20 vols. of OED!) ; )

No comments:

Post a Comment