Webster Dictionary
The Webster dictionary is well known. Nobody is above looking up a word or definition on occasion. It’s necessary.
At one time every family wanted a copy of the Webster dictionary. They wanted their children to have what they needed for school. But in the modern world this dictionary is now online. The online version is like the book but even better. It’s one way the Internet has made our lives easier.
Today the term Webster dictionary is a generic term. It refers to any type of English language dictionary. Noah Webster began what today is the Merriam-Webster dictionary. But most dictionaries now bear the name.
Noah Webster was popular originally not for the Webster dictionary but for readers and spelling books used in schools. It wasn’t until 1806 that Webster first published a dictionary. He pioneered what would later become standard elements of dictionaries. One of these was American spellings of words. Color, for instance, instead of colour. The dictionary included words from fields other than literature. Even after publishing it Webster took 20 more years to expand it.
When he was 70 years old Noah Webster published another dictionary. It had two volumes and contained 70,000 entries. This became the precursor of the Webster dictionary. With many revisions made by Noah’s son, a new revision was released in 1840.
The Webster dictionary we know today came into being upon Webster’s death. The family sold off the rights to Webster’s works and name to George and Charles Merriam. Working with Webster’s son they revised the book even more. A new revised edition appeared on September 24, 1847. A new addition followed this in 1859. This version had illustrations.
The Webster dictionary continued to develop. They engaged a Yale professor to assist with another revision. That one came out in 1864. It featured 114,000 entries. This was the first time Noah’s original work was significantly changed. It was called unabridged.
It was 1909 when the book really hit its stride. This was the international version. It had over 400,000 entries and doubled the number of illustrations. For the first time the page was divided. Words below the line and their definitions were printed in very small print to save space. These were seldom used words, some obsolete and out of use, that were added for the sake of completion.
Just like Kleenex is used to describe all tissue, people use Webster dictionary to describe any dictionary. But Noah Webster’s work still exists.
January 24, 2009
French Dictionary
People call French the language for lovers. That’s why a French dictionary may be of use. Or it could be just to translate sentences into French, or find out what French words mean.
Many language students have a French dictionary. Such a dictionary would have English words translated into French and French words translated into English. People find it useful.
Many French dictionaries found their way onto the Internet. This included translation services such as AltaVista and more recently Google. These can be used to translate sentences or entire blocks of text. That’s useful when speaking with people from other countries.
Here are some words from a French dictionary. Toast in English is a piece of bread made crisp by exposure to dry heat. Many kinds of toast exist. Of course French toast must be mentioned. It’s pain perdu in French. It’s made by dipping the bread in egg and frying it. It can be topped with butter, fruit, syrup, or many other items including strawberries.
Toast in the French dictionary can be to honor someone or something. For example a guest may toast a host. The French phrase is en l’honneur de.
Bread can be found in the French dictionary. The French word is pain. It’s really loaf as in a loaf of soap. Panade in French is bread soup.
Cafe in a French dictionary would be a restaurant. The word is used in English too. If you own a restaurant in France you’re a restauranteur. In French it’s a masculine word.
The French word for potato is found in the French dictionary – pomme. When turned into french fries the French would call it pommes frites. That was once explained on the popular children’s show Mr. Rogers Neighborhood. The phrase pommes de la soupe would be potato soup. If you wanted a baked potato with some cheese on it you might ask for pommes du fromage.
There’s more than romance in a French dictionary.
German English Dictionary
There are many words to find in a German English dictionary – this series discusses them. Let’s look at some of these words.
Earlier articles in this series explore the different types of a German English Dictionary. Some show both languages’ version of a word as well as definitions and more information. Both can be enjoyable.
The German English dictionary series has resulted in a lot of email. One New York woman wrote: I’m glad I found this. I never imagined these dictionaries could be such powerful launching points for knowledge. My children are enjoying it.
Kids’ world opens up when reading a German English dictionary. For example they might like to know that one of their favorite things in the world, toys, is kinderspielzeug in German. The German word for children is kinder. In America a child’s school is kindergarten.
Other people have feedback on the German English dictionary. Mary O’Leary said: I never imagined words could be so much fun. It’s something the whole family can enjoy. That’s why this series is still going.
There’s another type of school that might be found in the German English dictionary. It’s school in English. It means a coordinated group of cetaceans. Cetaceans means large sea animal. Whales are amongst these. A schule is a group of these, in German. It shouldn’t be confused with the place of learning.
Frank Nelson from Ohio had something to say about the German English dictionary series: Wow! These articles are amazing. I thought languages were boring, but this makes it fun. No argument here, it’s true.
The center is covered by the German English dictionary. In German it’s zentral. That’s similar to the English word. Zentral is used for both center and central.
Some people think languages can be boring. But when you use a dictionary, such as a German English dictionary, they can open the door to a great deal of interesting information.
January 22, 2009
Spanish English Dictionary
When people want to convert English to Spanish or vice versa they often use a Spanish English dictionary. This dictionary is common for Spanish students of all ages. As the Internet has grown, many of these have popped up. Mostly they are web pages to translate text. They’re better than ever before.
Babelfish was the first Spanish English dictionary online to gain fame. It was like something out of a science fiction movie. One button press could translate almost any text.
It was an imperfect Spanish English dictionary. The translations often left a great deal to be desired. Translated text was easily spotted.
Some people considered this problem with the Spanish English dictionary to be a good thing. It was handy for a quick rewrite. This is how it was done. Translate something into English. Then reenter the English text and translated back into Spanish. Very often the result would be different than what was originally entered. With a little bit of editing it would be passable.
Some websites now offer an improved Spanish English dictionary. Google has one. Text can be translated to multiple languages and then back without any changes. It’s not a rewrite tool. But the translation is generally superior.
There are other sites that have a Spanish English dictionary that’s a bit more detailed in its results. Not only will it translate words, it will look them up and provide definitions for both Spanish and English version. For example, enter the word freeway. Autopista is the translation in Spanish. The English definition is given – a broad roadway that accommodates high-speed traffic. Enter the word autopista, and many results are returned. This includes expressway, freeway, highway, and even the UK motorway. Now click an English word to see its definition. A highway, freeway, expressway and motorway are all about the same.
Fewer and fewer people use the books. People do so much work online that it’s becoming a burden to look things up in a printed book. But they still use a Spanish English dictionary.