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Q: the dictionary in the last five decades ( No Answer,   5 Comments )
Question  
Subject: the dictionary in the last five decades
Category: Reference, Education and News > General Reference
Asked by: meesadesiking-ga
List Price: $10.00
Posted: 31 Jul 2004 12:16 PDT
Expires: 30 Aug 2004 12:16 PDT
Question ID: 381768
Looking at the number of words added to the dictionary every year, do
you think development of technical language is slowly overshadowing
development of literature ? ( I am looking for an analysis of the
number of technical and non technical words added to the dictionary
every year or so and draw out a conclusion from that)..
Answer  
There is no answer at this time.

Comments  
Subject: Re: the dictionary in the last five decades
From: neilzero-ga on 01 Aug 2004 07:10 PDT
 
You typed "the dictionary" In the USA, there are many dictionary
publishers, none of whom are officialy the final word. Typically they
are reluctant to add obscure technical words, and obscure words coined
by authors of literature as the word count would likely be approaching
a billion had the obscure words been added. I suppose your question
can be answered for specific publishers.   Neil
Subject: Re: the dictionary in the last five decades
From: nelson-ga on 01 Aug 2004 10:35 PDT
 
If it's any help to researchers, my humble opinion is that
Merriam-Webster's is the definitive US dictionary publisher, with the
Unabridged edition being the dictionary of record.  (For the UK, it
would be the Oxford English dictionary.)
Subject: Re: the dictionary in the last five decades
From: omnivorous-ga on 01 Aug 2004 11:00 PDT
 
A timely question, as there's a new OED:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/5983_915965,00430005.htm

A new Canadian OED:
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1091126533731_86535733/?hub=CTVNewsAt11

A new Merriam-Webster:
http://www.linuxelectrons.com/article.php/20040801110235755

Looks like a hat trick to me, eh?
Subject: Re: the dictionary in the last five decades
From: meesadesiking-ga on 01 Aug 2004 12:36 PDT
 
Well I was looking for Merriam Webster... 
Again what I am looking for is an analysis of how many technical words
and how many non technical words are added to this dictionary in this
decade compared to the 90's and 80's and 70's.
Even a report for the Oxford dictionary would be ok...
or if that's tough.. simply an analysis of the technical and non
technical english words coined in this decade and the last few decades
would be great.
Subject: Re: the dictionary in the last five decades
From: archae0pteryx-ga on 07 Aug 2004 11:59 PDT
 
meesadesiking,

No matter how many new words are added to any dictionary as a result
of the speed of technological development, why would that say anything
at all about the development of literature?  There's no relationship
between the two fields.  Technology needs new words constantly to name
new inventions and their functions.  Literature covers matters for
which there have been enough words for centuries.

Archae0pteryx
(not a researcher)

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