The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-01-12
RECENT PUBLICATIONS.
The Standard Dictionary.

The Funk & Wagnalls Company, of New
York, have issued Volume / of their
standard Dictionary Of the English Lam
guage," and even a cursory examination of
its contents shows that it will be a great
work. On it's title page it is represented
as "a standard dictionary Of the English
language upon original plans designed to
give, in complete and accurate statement,
in the light of the most recent advances in
knowledge. and in the readiest form for
popular use, the meaning, photography, pro-
nunciation and etymology of all the words
and the idiomatic phrases in the speech
and literature of the English-speaking peo-
pies" The claim is made good by the con-
tents of the work. To begin with it will
contain at least $4,000 more words and terms
than any other dictionary extant. Wor-
cester contains los, 900 words; Webster's In
ternational, 125, 600; the Century Dictionary,
225,O0O while the Standard will contain
about 2S0,000. The excess represents words
and terms which have never appeared in
any other dictionary or the English lam
toned by good usage while others are Of
recent coinage. and are still knocking at
the door for admission The desire TO ex-
tend the vocabulary has led to the admis-
sion of some words of doubtful legitimacy,
but the list OF new words of recognized
The plan OF the work embraces some
new features. Thus. in the matter of def
nitiOnS, the most common meaning or a
word Is given first, and other meanings in
the order of usage. the obsolescent and oh
solete meaning and the etymology being
given last The definitions are remarkably
clear and satisfactory. Comparatively lit
tie space is given to the etymology of
words, a branch of philology which few
persons care to explore. The space thus
gained is utilized to better advantage.
The quotations used 10 verify or illus
trate the meanings of words are located
in every instance by giving not only the
of he Init
chapter and page where the quotation oc-
ours. The work contains nearly fifty thou
thus located Thus, under the word gra-
ciosity," a monstrous werd. by the way,
which does not deserve recognition, we
find the quotation: "A delicate graciosity
of manner covering unutterable things"
from Carlyle's French Revolution, volume
/, book 3. chapter 6, page 80 This exact
locating of quotations is carried out more
thoroughly than in any other dictionary.
though the feature itself is not new. Near
ly all the quotations are new and show
very wide reading and intelligent selection.
Disputed RECOMMENDATIONS and spelling have
been referred, under competent direction,
to committee of fifty philologists in the
universities of this and other English-speak-
ing countries and representative profess
sonal writer's and the forms preferred by
each member of the committee are indi-
Gated. The object is to furnish a consensus
of the best judgment of the entire English
speaking world on all disputed points in
photography and orthoepy and this IS we'll
the first pronunciation given is the one
preferred by the Standard Dictionary and
this is followed by the pronunca tons pre-
ferred by other dictionaries. This, IN con-
nection with the judgment. of the committee
on pronunciation, makes the authority on
that point conclusive
In the spelling of geographic names the
editors of the Standard, who embrace many
profound philologists and men of letters;
have followed the decisions of the United
States board on geographic names. Through
out the entire dictionary in the spelling
the fact that there is a conservative drift
toward the simpler forms of spelling has
been recognized, and the spelling OF many
words has been rightly simplified. In COM
pliance with the wishes of the chemical
section of the American Association for the
Advancement of Science the spelling OF
many words in chemistry has been changed,
as bromin. bromid, morphin, quinn. sulfur.
oxid and others. The new spelling is shown
by the preference given by the Standard,
the old spelling being accorded second
place.
1t would be impossible within the limits
of this article TO notice all the new features
of the work. Some are more meritorious
than others, but all show great research
and conscientious effort to reach a high
standard. An immense amount of learned
labor has been putt in the preparation of
the work, and very large sum Of money
expended in it's publication. Some of the
historical Illustrations are surprisingly
beautiful, especially those in colors. A
great merit of the work is its comDactneSS.
so we'll and utilized space 30 successfully
that the vast store of information IL con-
tains is compressed into the least possible
compass. 1t will be issued in single vol
ume and also in a dOuble-vOlume edition.
the former costing So or SIC. and the latter
S15 or 500 according to binding. 1t will ne
sold only on subscription. New y ork: Funk
& Wagnalls Company, is Astor Place