Re: Dictionaries

Subject: Re: Dictionaries
From: Stephen Bernhardt <sbernhar -at- NMSU -dot- EDU>
Date: Thu, 27 Jan 1994 14:04:25 -0700

WEbster's is out in a 10th edition now. What distinguishes Merriam
Webster from some other dictionary publishers is that they do their own
research, using traditional lexicography. That's more than can be said
for American Heritage. Random House does their own work too.
American Heritage is fun to reead for their usage panel, pompous buttheads
who sit in judgement on how the rest of us abuse the language. Their
pronouncements lead to uninterpretable data--if 43% of the panel objects
to a usage, what are we to conclude??

Lexicography is painstaking work, and there is no limit to the piracy that
goes on. It is important not to mistake Meriam Webster of Springfield Mass
for the host of poachers on the uncopyrightable "Webster's."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
> Stephen A. Bernhardt >
> Department of English, Box 3E >
> New Mexico State University >
> Las Cruces, NM 88003 >
> 505-646-2027 FAX 505-646-7725 >
> e-mail sbernhar -at- nmsu -dot- edu >
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>


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