Dictionaries

A dictionary is a reference book that lists the words of one or more languages,
usually in alphabetical order, along with information about their spelling,
pronunciation, grammatical status, meaning, history, and use. The process of
compiling dictionaries is known as lexicography, and the people who carry out this
task are lexicographers - 'harmless drudges', as Dr Johnson defined them.

In literate societies, most homes have a dictionary, but there is enormous variation
in the way this is used. Some people constantly use them as a serious educational
tool, aiming to improve their own or their children's 'word power'. Others use them
only for fun - as the arbiter in a game of Scrabble, for instance. Others do not use
them at all and do not replace them when they fall badly out of date. The continued
use' of 10-or 20-year-old dictionaries is by no means uncommon.

For a book that is viewed with a level of respect normally accorded only to the
Bible, it is remarkable how casually dictionary-users treat their dictionaries. When
people are asked what factors govern their choice of dictionary, most cite
linguistically irrelevant matters, such as price, pictorial content, and size - not in
terms of number of entries, but whether it would fit on a shelf, or in a pocket.
Many people expect a dictionary to contain encyclopaedic information about
historical events, people, and places. Most admit they have never bothered to read
the Preface to their dictionary - the place where the layout and conventions of the
book are systematically explained. As a consequence they are unable to say what
the various abbreviations and symbols mean, or why they are there. The general
conclusion is inescapable: most people who would check out every tiny feature of
their new car before buying it are unaware of the power that lies under the bonnet
of their dictionary.

THE RANGE OF DICTIONARIES

Dictionaries come in all shapes and sizes, from the massive unabridged works,
such as the 2,662-page Merriam-Webster Third New International Dictionary of
the English Language (1961), to the tiniest of pocket-size works, such as the 386-
page Nimmo's Thumb English Dictionary, each page of which is less than 9 cm
high. Coverage (the number of headwords the work contains) and treatment (the
kind of information provided under each headword) thus vary enormously. The
simplest way of showing this is to compare the amount of detail given for the same
word in dictionaries of different sizes. Here are the entries for insular in a large,
medium-sized, and small dictionary:
The Random House Dictionary of the English Language (c. 260,000 headwords,
1987) (in's;;, l;;,r, ins'y;;,-), adj. 1. of or pertaining to an islandor islands: insular possessions. 2.
dwelling or situated on an island. 3. forming an island: insular rocks. 4. detached; standing
alone; isolated. 5. of, pertaining to, or characteristic of islanders. 6. narrow-minded or
illiberal; provincial: insular attitudes towards foreigners. 7. Pathol. occurring in or characterized
by one or more isolated spots, patches, or the like. 8. Anat. pertaining to an island of cells or
tissue, as the islets of Langerhans. -no 9. an inhabitant of an island; islander. [1605-15; <LL
insular(is). See INS ULA, -AR') - in'su .lar. ism, n. - in'su.lar'i. ty, n. - in'su. lar. Iy,
adv.

Longman Dictionary of the English Language (c. 90,000 headwords, 1984)

/'insyool;;,/ adj la of or being an island b living or situated on an island (-residents) 2 of a plant
or animal having a restricted or isolated natural range or habitat
3a of island people (surviving customs) b that results (as if) from lack of contact with other
peoples or cultures; narrow-minded, illiberal 4 anatomy of an island of cells or tissue [LL
insularis, fr L insula island) - insularism n, insularly adv, insularity n

Penguin English Dictionary (c. 40,000 headwords, 2nd edn, 1969) [insewler) adj of
or like an island; of or like inhabitants of an island; cut off from general currents of thought;
narrow-minded, smugly intolerant.

For further comparison, Nimmo's tiny book says simply: 'a. surrounded by water'.

Apart from variations of format - the use of bold face, numbered senses, etc. - there
are major differences in the range and depth of information provided. It is worth
spending five minutes making ' a point-by-point comparison, to see exactly how
much information is lost as the dictionaries become smaller. And the moral is
plain: for serious study of a language's word-hoard,