Re: Merriam-Webster's Unabridged vs Oxford English Dictionary


Peter T. Daniels <grammatim@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:449AA888.41F4@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Paul J Kriha wrote:

What should I get if English is my second language and I
have a passion for knowing it well?

English is also my non-first language.
My personal impression is that out of those four mentioned
by Peter (OED, Chambers, Collins, Macquarie), Collins
is (by far) the least often wrong.

What do you mean by "wrong"?

By "the least often wrong" I mean "contains the fewest mistakes".
Typically an entry contains information that is internally contradicted
by other entries or by entries in several other dictionaries.

For example The Concise Oxford Dictionary (7th edition) which I bought
in 1982 has on almost every page at least one misspelled etymology
entry. Foreign words are often butchered with letters missing,
misplaced diacritics and indifferent typesetting. It makes me not trust
any of the etymology entries.

The HarperCollins publication is a completely different kettle of fish.

None of them will be of much use if you're
reading contemporary American fiction. You need MW or AHD.

I hardly ever need a dictionary when I read the contemporary
English or American fiction. My passive vocabulary is okay.

However, when I do need a dictionary, I prefer to use the
one that includes all English, American, as well as Australian
usages. This is because I frequently move between the main
E. language environments.

pjk


.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Merriam-Websters Unabridged vs Oxford English Dictionary
    ... Peter T. Daniels wrote in message ... English is also my non-first language. ... by other entries or by entries in several other dictionaries. ...
    (sci.lang)
  • Re: Invention of the Alphabet
    ... Peter> Where would I even find one? ... Peter> Single characters rarely even have a definition; ... Neither do most English word function on their own. ... English->Chinese) dictionaries, but at the same time it is ...
    (sci.lang)
  • Re: Invention of the Alphabet
    ... >> Peter> You're beginning to look like gilgames. ... >> Peter> significance in Chinese. ... the headwords in the CHINESE TO ENGLISH side of a Chinese-English ... Of the dictionaries to hand (Collins Gem French-English, ...
    (sci.lang)
  • Intro B: Useful Web Sites for AUE Participants
    ... Learning English as a Foreign Language ... Dictionaries, ... Grammar: Frequently Requested Topics ... Black English ...
    (alt.usage.english)
  • Intro B: Useful Web Sites for AUE Participants
    ... - Learning English as a Foreign Language ... - Dictionaries, ... - Grammar: Frequently Requested Topics ...
    (alt.usage.english)