Dictionaries??

Discussion:

Dictionaries??

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Jean S. Barto

2006-09-10 13:40:04 UTC

Hi folks--

I'm an older returning student who's taking a creative writing class this
semester, and expect to take a technical writing class next semester. I've
gotten through life until now without owning a dictionary or thesaurus of my
own until last year. However, I'm at the point now that I feel I need a
more comprehensive dictionary than the pocket/paperback editions in my
community college bookstore. I bought the hard-cover Merriam-Webster
Collegiate Dictionary there, as well as some smaller palm-sized publications
that I can fit in my backpack (dictionary, thesaurus, rhyming dictionary),
just to get me started this semester.

I've found the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary straightforward and
concise, good for "normal" use now, but perhaps not detailed or nuanced
enough for my long-term requirements, which could include writing a long
short story (for my class now) or novella (expanding on the SS) set in late
16th/early 17th century New England, as well as research papers for medical
technology/molecular genetics classes I'll be taking in the next couple of
years. Naturally, the other pocket-sized volumes are for using at school
when I might not have access to more comprehensive works.

So, *which* edition of the OED should I consider? I've researched
Amazon.com and have gotten thoroughly confused reading all the reviews.

I can't really afford, or have the space for the 20 volume OED, so *which*
smaller edition should I consider? Also, I'm a Mac user, so the OED on
CD-ROM isn't an option. I visited the local B&N and Borders today, and
neither place had all the smaller/abridged OED editions for me to compare
one against the other, and neither had any of the two volume editions.

So, what are the pros and cons of the different OED editions? Which ones do
all of you own and use? Is the print in the Compact OED really that small?
Would the two volume Shorter OED be a good compromise/alternative?

Thanks in advance,

Jean in VA

P.S.--I bought a real cute little book today, the "Oxford Mini Dictionary,
Thesaurus, and Wordpower Guide." I liked the way it was set up, with
dictionary entries on the top two-thirds of the pages, and the thesaurus
entries for many of the "top" words, on the bottom of each page. It also
has a nifty "Wordpower Guide" in the back==vocabulary builder, commonly
misspelled and confused words, and "collective names of animals and birds
(ex.--"gaggle of geese")." Too bad my college bookstore didn't have this,
it's better than the pocket Random House references I bought late last
month.

Francis A. Miniter

2006-09-10 15:20:18 UTC

Permalink

Post by Jean S. Barto
Hi folks--
I'm an older returning student who's taking a creative writing class this
semester, and expect to take a technical writing class next semester. I've
gotten through life until now without owning a dictionary or thesaurus of my
own until last year. However, I'm at the point now that I feel I need a
more comprehensive dictionary than the pocket/paperback editions in my
community college bookstore. I bought the hard-cover Merriam-Webster
Collegiate Dictionary there, as well as some smaller palm-sized publications
that I can fit in my backpack (dictionary, thesaurus, rhyming dictionary),
just to get me started this semester.
I've found the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary straightforward and
concise, good for "normal" use now, but perhaps not detailed or nuanced
enough for my long-term requirements, which could include writing a long
short story (for my class now) or novella (expanding on the SS) set in late
16th/early 17th century New England, as well as research papers for medical
technology/molecular genetics classes I'll be taking in the next couple of
years. Naturally, the other pocket-sized volumes are for using at school
when I might not have access to more comprehensive works.
So, *which* edition of the OED should I consider? I've researched
Amazon.com and have gotten thoroughly confused reading all the reviews.
I can't really afford, or have the space for the 20 volume OED, so *which*
smaller edition should I consider? Also, I'm a Mac user, so the OED on
CD-ROM isn't an option. I visited the local B&N and Borders today, and
neither place had all the smaller/abridged OED editions for me to compare
one against the other, and neither had any of the two volume editions.
So, what are the pros and cons of the different OED editions? Which ones do
all of you own and use? Is the print in the Compact OED really that small?
Would the two volume Shorter OED be a good compromise/alternative?
Thanks in advance,
Jean in VA
P.S.--I bought a real cute little book today, the "Oxford Mini Dictionary,
Thesaurus, and Wordpower Guide." I liked the way it was set up, with
dictionary entries on the top two-thirds of the pages, and the thesaurus
entries for many of the "top" words, on the bottom of each page. It also
has a nifty "Wordpower Guide" in the back==vocabulary builder, commonly
misspelled and confused words, and "collective names of animals and birds
(ex.--"gaggle of geese")." Too bad my college bookstore didn't have this,
it's better than the pocket Random House references I bought late last
month.

Hi Jean,

I cannot help you on the OEDs, I had always thought there was only one smaller
one - the two volume one with magnifying glass. But you might want to have a
Webster's Unabridged and an American Heritage Dictionary around, and perhaps,
Fowler's Modern English Usage.

More importantly, though, if you are going to write about a period, such as you
mention - late 16th, early 17th C. New England, you would be better advised to
spend a significant period of time reading texts from that era in order to
acquaint yourself with the words actually used then and with the phrase and
sentence patterns common then. A dictionary of the era would be more valuable
than a current dictionary for research purposes.

A friend of mine who is an author researches her material in depth. She is
currently writing an historical fiction novel about a 18th C English family of
note. She went to England, found what there was to be found in the major
libraries, then asked the family's descendants for permission, which was
granted, to review their family papers from that era.

Sometimes, I wonder how a novelist actually manages to produce a novel a year.

Francis A. Miniter

Erastes

2006-09-11 14:40:34 UTC

Permalink

I would also second that, reading texts of the era will certainly help
with the feel of the language and the way that people thought and
expressed themselves.

Also, I highly recommend etymology online, http://www.etymonline.com
which has helped me enormously when writing my 17th century English
novel. I'm English, but I needed to make sure that phrases and words
were in use at that time.

I've just joined a historical writers critique group, and that's an
enormous help too, as sometimes other people spot things that you
don't. I found myself using the term "thought crime" in a 19th Century
setting... OOPS!

Butterfield

2006-09-28 18:50:54 UTC

Permalink

I have a book, not a dictionary, that I use in writing
historic fiction. It is "English Through the Ages" by
William Brohaugh, published by Writers Digest Books, which
lets you know when a word first came into use.

Example: OK in the index gives you three choices,
OK interj 248 gives you - b1870
OK adj 234 gives you - adj 1839
OK n/v/adv 234 gives you - n b1845, v b1890m, adv b1900

Or you can research words by date under headings
such as "geography" wher burn n creek b900

The b means in use by a certain date.

I find this book very useful in avoiding anachronistic
words in historic writings.

Maryann

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