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I.S.--Dictionaries
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Spellings Usage of words Definitions of words Word origins (etymology) Pronunciations Rhyming Quotations Grammar and part of speech Prescriptive & descriptive |
You may only be familiar with the use of dictionaries to find the meanings of words, but there are many many uses of dictionaries. Take another look at the list above. Notice the last item: prescriptive and descriptive. This is a major split in types of dictionaries with which you should be familiar.
Webster's 2nd unabridged dictionary, for instance, is prescriptive. It tells you whether words are proper to use and in what context. For instance, it tells you not to use the word "ain't" in formal company; it is unacceptable.
Webster's 3rd unabridged, however, does NOT tell you how to use words. It simply describes what they mean if you happen to use them.
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Some people estimate that there are as many as 55 million words in the entire English language. That does not mean, however, that an unabridged dictionary contains that many words. Most unabridged dictionaries contain around 2 million of the most common words.
Many of the words in the English language are specialized. For instance, they are used just by engineers, or doctors, or lawyers, or electronics technicians. The only way to access all these words and their meanings is to get hold of a specialized dictionary.
Smaller than the unabridged dictionary, which you usually find on a dictionary stand and is too large to carry, is the standard dictionary. It is a large bound volume and just barely small enough to carry with you.
The desk and collegiate size dictionaries are smaller yet and meant to be easily carried.
The pocket dictionary is usually paperback and small, but may contain as many words as the desk and collegiate size dictionaries.
| CATEGORY | TITLES | ||||||||||||||||||
| Pictures dictionaries (for language or children) | Scott Foresman Beginning Dictionary The Sesame Street Dictionary Historical
| Oxford English Dictionary (OED) | Dictionary of American English on Historical principles A dictionary of Americanisms on historical principles Dictionary of American Regional English Subject dictionaries
| Black's law dictionary | Dorland's illustrated medical dictionary Prentice-Hall standard glossary of computer terminology Dictionary of information technology McGraw-Hill dictionary of scientific and technical terms. Synonyms and antonyms
| Roget's international thesaurus | Random House thesaurus Webster's new dictionary of synonyms. Slang
| New dictionary of American slang | A dictionary of slang and unconventional English. Usage
| American usage and style: the consensus | Dictionary of modern English usage. New words
| The Barnhart dictionary of new English since 1963 | 9000 words: A supplement to Webster's third new international dictionary. Sign language
| A dictionary of American Sign Language on linguistic principles
| Unabridged dictionaries
| Webster's new international dictionary of the English language, 2d ed. | Webster's third new international dictionary Random House dictionary of the English language. Standard dictionaries
| American Heritage dictionary of the English language | Funk and Wagnalls standard college dictionary Random House college dictionary Webster's ninth new collegiate dictionary Webster's new world dictionary of the American language. |
There are also
| HA 202 .S82 1992 | Statistical abstract of the United States
| GR 35 .J62 1961
| Dictionary of mythology, folklore, and symbols
| PC 4827 .G35 1985
| Diccionario del Espanol Chicano
| R 121 D73
| Dorland's Medical Dictionary
| HG 151 .R66
| Dictionary of Banking
| D 424 .C65
| Columbia Dictionary of European Political History since 1914
| QE 862 .D5 G65
| Complete Dinosaur Dictionary
| HC 29 .R66
| Corporate Eponymy
| QE 5 .C453
| Chambers Earth Sciences Dictionary
| CS 2505 .R39
| Dictionary of English Surnames
| PE 1691 .H65
| Faber Dictionary of Euphemisms
| QB 14 .R66
| Dictionary of Astronomical Names
| PN 1993.45 .K66
| Complete Film Dictionary
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There are dictionaries and dictionary-like directories which focus of biographical information. Some are CURRENT, meaning they deal with living people. Some are RETROSPECTIVE, meaning that they cover only dead people. Some are very general, some quite specialized.
International dictionary of Black composers
American national biography
The vice presidents : a biographical dictionary
Notable women in mathematics : a biographical dictionary
American women in science
Dictionary of world biography
Notable Latino Americans : a biographical dictionary
Larousse dictionary of women
Texas biographical dictionary
The Cambridge dictionary of American biography
World Almanac Biographical Dictionary
Dictionary of National Biography
Dictionary of American Biography
Dictionary of Scientific Biography , Q 141 D5
Who's Who , DA 28 W6
Who Was Who in America , E 176 W64
The International Dictionary of Women's Biography , CT 3202 I57
American Men and Women of Science , Q 141 A474
Current Biography Yearbook , CT 100 C8
Trail Drivers of Texas , F 596 T69
Encyclopedia of Western Gun-Fighters , F 596 O65
Asimov's Biographical Encyclopedia of Science and Technology , Q 141 A74
The Great Chiefs , E 78 W5 T55
McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of World Biography , CT 103 M27
Webster's American Biographies, CT 213 W43
World Authors , PN 451 W3
Twentieth Century Authors , PN 451 K84
American Authors , PS 21 K8
British Authors before 1800 , PR 105 K9
Who Was When? , CT 103 D4
They Went That-A-Way-- , CT 105 F63
Doctors: The Biography of Medicine , R 134 N85
Lifelines, CT 104 W45
Who Did What,103 W47
Pictures dictionaries (for language or children)-
Historical-
Subject dictionaries-
Synonyms and antonyms-
Slang-
Usage-
New words-
Sign language-
Unabridged dictionaries-
Standard dictionaries-
5. Locate the following biographical titles in the online PAC library catalog. Write down the call number, then find them on the shelf. Write down under each their call number, whether they are current or retrospective, and whether they are general or discipline specific. Also, note any other interesting features, like whether they have pictures of the people, whether they list their works, etc. Be able to explain the purpose of each item.
6. Locate the following sources in the library and look them over. Choose two which are particularly useful for you and print a full MLA style citation for each on the back of this page.
