In a remarkable work, the author has furnished everything needed to synthesize or compose new terms for scientific concepts, as well as providing definitions of many older words. The author begins with a brief introduction to the history of the English language, the most eclectic and welcoming of new words of any language. Because Latin and Greek figure so prominently in the origins of both general and scientific terminology, an overview of the grammar of these two languages is supplied. The bulk of the volume is an alphabetical list of words and parts of words, primarily English, Latin, and Greek. The origin of the word is given, along with a basic definition.
Many entries then list one to many translations, mostly from English to Latin or Greek.
Many other languages are also found, from Arabic to Japanese to Welsh. Detailed discussion of the primary methods and rules for composition are treated in the beginning of the work. For example, new words can be compounded from two or more entire words with or without the use of connecting vowels and by the use of prefixes and suffixes. Other ways of creating new words and pitfalls to be avoided are provided, as well as a brief mention of pronunciation and spelling. A bibliography of sources used and an index to the front discussion are included.