DICTIONARIES

Otago Witness, Issue 2558, 25 March 1903, Page 69

DICTIONARIES

I am not a book fiend touting for any particular dictionary, but I was asked the other day what was the best one to have. It is a question of price. The best I know of for school use is the Twentieth Century Dictionary at 3s 6d ; it is a marvel. But for the study, Webster's and Funk and Wagnall's — the latter for preference— are almost indispensable ; but these cost £4 or more. Above these again comes The Century, so widely advertised just now, and its vaiue is not, I think, over-estimated ; it is more'than a dictionary of the English language, and, almost approaches an encpclopaedia. But above all these towers the monumental Murray's Dictionary, which will take some time* yet to complete. From start to finish its compilation has taken, I suppose, over ten years. Complete, it will cost about £20. Another dictionary almost a necessity to the English student is Skeat's Dictionary — it is entirely etymological, so it need not be purchased by those wanting a pronouncing dictionary. But all dictionaries are, at times, rotten reeds to lean upon. In last week's Christian Outlook a tale contains the word "chauffeur." I turned up the Twentieth Century, then Funk and Wagnall's, then the Century, and it isn't in any of them. When looking up the word in the Century a friend of mine happened to be on the same quest — many of you know him, the Rev. A. Don, Chinese missionary — and he showed me a long list he couldln't find in any of these superlative works. Here are a few of them: — Dum dum (bullets), yapp (a kind of leather binding), putties, shanghai (used by boys), dummy (a man who takes up land fraudulently for another), radium (a new element), set square, aquaculture (we have agriculture, horticulture 1 , and so on, and aquaculture is used for cultivating plants in water), kaik, Moriori (name of aborigines of Chathams), tangi and taniwha. This is only a selection. Some are, of course, Maori, but the large standard dictionaries profess to have all words in anything like general use wherever the English language is spoken. It does seem absurd, however, that such words as putties, dum dum, set square, etc., are not to be found. Decode is another word. All cables arrive at Wakapuaka in coded form — at least, I think so — that is, words stand for sentences, and it is the duty of an officer there to ''break down" or "decode" the code words, and so translate them into intelligible English. Any twentieth century dictionary ought to have these words. Some of them I have looked for. but cannot find. It is possible my friend has overlooked some of them ; if so, that is quite foreign, to bis nature as. those of you

who know him will admit. Sometimes a word may appear under some heading that does not suggest itself to the searcher, but all words ought to hare cross references when the heading isn't sufficiently suggestive. Then there are the questions of pronnunciation and spelling. Webster's International, Funk and Wagnall's, and the Century are "made in America," and are therefore Americanised in spelling and pronunciation. It is a matter for regret, I think, that we should be so largely dependent upon Americans for a standard dictionary. Perhaps I may have more to say on this subject another time.