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In the English Language

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Submitted By jangkeguieb123
Words 797
Pages 4
Jeanne Kelly Guieb
Kenneth De Torres

Use of the Dictionary A dictionary is a very important tool for anyone who is learning a new language. With a good dictionary you can do the following: * look up the meaning of an English word you see or hear * find the English translation of a word in your language * check the spelling of a word * check the plural of a noun or past tense of a verb * find out other grammatical information about a word * find the synonym or antonym of a word * look up the collocations of a word * check the part of speech of a word * find out how to say a word * find out about the register of a word * find examples of the use of a word in natural language
Kinds of Dictionary
Descriptive Dictionaries
The truth of the matter is that today virtually all English language dictionaries are descriptive. The editors will usually say that they are simply recording the language and how its words are used and spelled. True, there may be some guidance. For example, most Merriam-Webster dictionaries will note if certain words are deemed nonstandard or offensive by most users; however, the words are still included. Of modern dictionaries, only the Funk and Wagnall's contain a certain amount of prescriptive advice. All the major dictionary publishers - Merriam-Webster, Times-Mirror, World Book, and Funk and Wagnall's - will tell you that they are primarily descriptive.
Historically, Dictionaries were Prescriptive
This was not the case with the first dictionaries in England and America. They were prescriptive. Samuel Johnson's Dictionary of the English Language (1755) had social commentary and jokes. He was writing to entertain as well as inform. Johnson also came to the conclusion that the English language could not be proscribed - it could not be limited to only a certain number of words. This, though, had

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