Dictionaries & Encyclopedias
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DICTIONARIES
There are significant differences in English language dictionaries. There are differences both in the way they handle the standard word definitions, and in the type of extra features they contain.
"WEBSTER'S" DICTIONARIES
"Webster's" is not a copyrighted name, so any company can use it in a title. Two major companies now use "Webster's." The Merriam-Webster Company, whose publications are most often considered THE `Webster's" in the popular use of the term, has published WEBSTER'S NEW INTERNATIONAL DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, and the WEBSTER'S NEW COLLEGIATE DICTIONARY among others. The World Publishing Company's titles include WEBSTER'S NEW WORLD DICTIONARY OF THE AMERICAN LANGUAGE, and WEBSTER'S NEW TWENTIETH CENTURY DICTIONARY. Other companies also use "Webster's," sometimes for cheap and inferior editions.
"UNABRIDGED" DICTIONARIES"
The use of the term "unabridged" is determined by the publisher, and the number of actual entries in the different "unabridged" dictionaries varies considerably. "Unabridged" dictionaries do not include every word in the language, though they do tend to be more complete than the smaller "desk" dictionaries.
There is no dictionary in existence which contains every word in use.
Most common of the unabridged dictionaries are the WEBSTER'S NEW INTERNATIONAL DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, 2d ed. ("WEBSTER'S SECOND"), WEBSTER'S THIRD NEW INTERNATIONAL DICTIONARY, FUNK & WAGNALLS NEW STANDARD DICTIONARY, RANDOM HOUSE DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, SECOND EDITION, AMERICAN HERITAGE DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, and AMERICAN HERITAGE ILLUSTRATED ENCYCLOPEDIC DICTIONARY (AMERICAN HERITAGE SECOND).
WORDS INCLUDED
Dictionaries will vary in the type of words they include, as well as the number of entries. For example, some contain words no longer used while others have only those in current use. All of the newer dictionaries make an effort to include modem slang and scientific words, but each seems to have picked a different group to include. If you don't find the word you need in one dictionary, be sure to check another if you can. Sometimes a small desk dictionary will have a word not Included in some "unabridged" dictionary.
The English language changes so fast that only a very recently printed dictionary will include very new words. The RANDOM HOUSE DICTIONARY, SECOND EDITION for example, was published in 1987 and includes words like "space shuttle," "nerd" and AIDS which you won't find in the WEBSTER'S second or third editions because they were published before these words came into use. Another Of these differences in vocabulary is that WEBSTER'S 2nd has words not obsolete before 1500 but, WEBSTER'S THIRD NEW INTERNATIONAL DICTIONARY includes only words in current use.
USAGE NOTES
One of the main uses of dictionaries is as an authority for correct word usage. However, dictionaries do not always agree on a word's proper use, and, in fact, some Of the newer dictionaries (most notably WEBSTER'S THIRD) no longer even try to give notes on usage in "correct" speech. They use a "descriptive" rather than a "prescriptive" approach. That is, they attempt to describe the way words are actually used, rather than how they should be used. WEBSTER'S THIRD and the 7th and 8th editions of WEBSTER'S NEW COLLEGIATE DICTIONARIES, which are based on WEBSTER'S THIRD, use this approach. The RANDOM HOUSE DICTIONARY and WEBSTER'S NEW WORLD DICTIONARY try to strike a balance, giving both indications of current and "proper" usage. Older dictionaries such as FUNK & WAGNALLS and the earlier WEBSTER'S NEW COLLEGIATE DICTIONARIES give prescriptive usage guidelines. Many people still regard WEBSTER'S SECOND as the major authority on proper English.
Because of these differences, you should always let the patron know which dictionary you are using when you answer a question on proper usage.
PRONUNCIATION
Every dictionary has some scheme of marks to indicate pronunciation, but these vary in different editions. For example WEBSTER'S THIRD uses an accent mark before the accented syllable, not after, as is the practice of most other dictionaries. It's a good idea to spend a few minutes studying the systems in the dictionaries you have, so you won't have to figure them out in the middle of answering a patron's question.
Regional variations in pronunciation are often given, sometimes with an indication of the preferred choice. Dictionaries differ in this area, too, so it's wise to know the practice of the ones in your library. Some give several alternate pronunciations for a word, others only a few. The distinctions between "prescriptive" and "descriptive" treatment hold for pronunciation as well; WEBSTER'S THIRD, for example, shows how words are usually pronounced in everyday speech whereas WEBSTER'S SECOND tries to show pronunciation for correct formal platform speech. In some dictionaries, the first pronunciation given is the preferred one, in others the first pronunciation is merely the most common and all are considered equally acceptable. You need to read the introductory material in each volume to be sure how each dictionary handles this.
ETYMOLOGY
Most dictionaries give some indication of the Origin of words. Like pronunciation schemes, these can be tricky to read, so try to become familiar with your own dictionaries.
When words have changed meanings over the years, several definitions may be given. The Merriam-Webster dictionaries always put the most current definition last. Other dictionaries such as RANDOM HOUSE and AMERICAN HERITAGE put the most recent definition first.
Write with the learned, pronounce with the vulgar.
Benjamin Franklin
EXTRA FEATURES
Most dictionaries have several useful features in addition to basic definitions, and some of these can be of great value especially in a small library. Just what each dictionary includes varies a great deal. WEBSTER'S SECOND, for example, is known for its appended tables, charts, maps, etc., most of which were dropped by WEBSTER'S THIRD. The AMERICAN HERITAGE DICTIONARY is noted for its illustrations. RANDOM HOUSE, SECOND has handy dictionaries of Spanish, French, Italian and German.
Many editions include rules of spelling and grammar, and many have special tables included in the body of the work, sometimes, but not always, listed in the table of contents.
THE DICTIONARY AS A FACT FINDING TOOL
The dictionary can often be used to answer many quick fact questions. Definitions can include a surprising amount of information, so don't overlook the dictionary even though you already know the basic meaning of a word.
And, of course, when you are working on a question, use the dictionary to check on unfamiliar terms. For example, if you receive a request for a book on dactylology, look that word up before you look in the library's catalog. You may very well have a book on the subject under a different heading.
Urban Dictionary
INDO-EUROPEAN ETYMOLOGICAL DICTIONARY (IEED)
The Indo-European Dictionary (or IEED)
The Indo-European Dictionary (or IEED) is the name of a research project of the Department of Comparative Indo-European Linguistics at Leiden University. It aims at producing a dictionary containing all words in the Indo-European languages that can be traced back to the proto-language.
On these pages you will find etymological data from individual Indo-European languages and background information about the project.
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Bible Word Dictionary
Important Words And Definitions
Assembly of Yahweh, Cascade
(an Assembly of True Israel, of the Diaspora)
Words and Definitions critical to the correct understanding of the Scriptures and Christianity.
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ENCYCLOPEDIAS
Encyclopedias are a basic information source in every library, so much so that they are often taken for granted and overlooked. It is important, therefore, that each librarian become familiar with the encyclopedias in the collection and the types of information they have.
Although works resembling encyclopedias were known as far back as ancient Greece, a Frenchman named Denis Diderot (1713-1784) is generally regarded as the father of the modem encyclopedia. In his work, entitled ENCYCLOPEDIA, he defined his purpose in preparing his encyclopedia: “The aim of the encyclopedia is to gather together the knowledge scattered over the face of the earth, to set forth its general plan to the men with whom we live, and transmit it to the men who will come after us, in order that the labors of past centuries may not have been in vain.” The purpose of encyclopedias remains to gather information from many diverse sources and present it in a comprehensible and easy-to-use format.
Encyclopedias can be roughly divided into two basic types - namely general and specialized. We will discuss the latter very briefly, as a small library will probably have few if any encyclopedias of this type.
Specialized encyclopedias differ from general encyclopedias in that they attempt to cover only one subject area, rather than the entire scope of human knowledge. They are similar, however, in that they consist of a series of articles which are arranged alphabetically and are generally written by different authors and include an Index. Examples of specialized encyclopedias are THE INTERNATIONAL ENCYCLOPEDIA OF THE SOCIAL SCIENCES, ENCYCLOPEDIA OF RELIGION AND ETHICS, THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF EDUCATION, and THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PHILOSOPHY. While it is unlikely that a small library will have many encyclopedias of this type, it is nevertheless wise to be aware of their existence for possible patron referral. For example, most general encyclopedias will have only a brief article on the subject of kindergarten, but the ENCYCLOPEDIA OF EDUCATION has a very good article on the subject. Similarly, it will be difficult to find a detailed treatment of existentialism in a general encyclopedia, but the ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PHILOSOPHY provides a detailed article, which includes a bibliography.
General encyclopedias, on the other hand, are an essential tool in even the smallest libraries. In order to get the maximum use out of encyclopedias it is important to keep several points in mind. First of all, while the basic arrangement of an encyclopedia is alphabetical, and the bulk of material on a given subject will be in the article about that topic, there is a wealth of information scattered through the encyclopedia under different headings. For example, in a recent edition of the ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNICA there is a long article in the Macropaedia volume under "Horses," but there are also an additional 36 entries under "Horses" in the Micropaedia Ready Reference and Index, ranging from "African Livestock" to "Walking Movement Sequence." While not every encyclopedia has an index, it is helpful to know how to use such an index.
It is also helpful to be aware of the special features included in different encyclopedias. For example, many encyclopedias include bibliographies, either at the end of the article, or, as in the case of COLLIER'S ENCYCLOPEDIA, gathered together at the end of the work. These bibliographies are helpful in suggesting sources of additional information for patrons interested in the topic.
General encyclopedias are also good sources for such things as maps, illustrations, charts, diagrams, pronunciations, and so on. When searching for illustrations, it is important to remember that the material might be in another place other than the main article on the topic. For example, there will probably be pictures of elephants in the main article on the topic, but there may be additional pictures in articles about such topics as "Africa," "Asia," "Circus, and so on. The index of an encyclopedia will generally indicate where illustrations are located. If the encyclopedia is not indexed, try checking under other headings if you do not find the illustration that you need in the first article that you check.
Finally, an encyclopedia will often contain information which you might not expect to find in a general encyclopedia. For example, the WORLD BOOK ENCYCLOPEDIA contains pictures of different types of fishing lures (under "Fishing"); a list of the Postmasters General of the United States (under "Postal Service, U.S."); a list of philosophic terms and their definitions (under "Philosophy"); and a list of common abbreviations (under "Abbreviations"). As a result, it is a good idea to acquaint yourself with the encyclopedias in your collection and learn to use them as fully as possible.
Encyclopedias are often the tool of choice when someone needs an overview of a subject, or is beginning research on a topic.
A Bequest Unearthed, Phoenicia, Encyclopedia Phoeniciana
World's largest web compilation of Phoenician
resources & studies -- 1,900 pages with more than one
million visitors per year and referenced by 90,000 in-coming links.
Mobile Encyclopedia
The Cyclopaedia of Biblical Literature
Edited by John Kitto
Encyclopaedia Biblica
A Critical Dictionary of the Literary, Political and Religion History, the Archeology, Geography and Natural History of the Bible (1899), edited by Thomas Kelly Cheyne and J. Sutherland Black, is a critical encyclopedia of the Bible. The articles are still of value and interest to modern scholars however, modern research have made some of it obsolete. It is no longer restricted by copyright and has become available online.
Catholic Encyclopedia
Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online
Encyclopedic Theosophical Glossary
Encyclopedia Britannica Online
Encyclopedia Dramatica
"The downfall of society, neatly placed in one URL" -- Alexa.com Review
The articles in this parody of an encyclopedia explain things in a funny and not necessarily correct way.
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