Dictionary? – Who needs a dictionary?
Restored from the Empower Network archive (2011–2017), lightly edited to meet our current advertising standards. Views are the original author’s.
Dictionary? – Who needs a dictionary?
Well, the answer of course is “You do!” Why? Well because the purpose of a dictionary is to help you understand FULLY, the words that you use everyday. What do I mean by FULLY? For example, many words have more than one meaning, and it’s not really enough to just flick quickly through and find the definiton of the word you’re trying to define, find the definition that fits in the context of what you’re reading or studying and then carrying on with the next part. That of course is GOOD, and BETTER than NOTHING, but the REAL joy of learning, (and as a side-effect result eventually a level of comprehension light-years above average,) is the following :
Once you have defined the word, by reading the applicable definition in the dictionary, you then have to use it in some sentences that you make up. You have to do enough until the word becomes YOUR word, used in that exact definition. (be careful not to make sentences using another definiton of the word at this stage). Then begining from the first definition , define each in turn, making sentences, and so-on. Then the idioms, and special definitions, (like scientific or specialised fields), and lastly the etymology.
Here’s a link to another post on the subject that covers this in more depth :
GET YOURSELF A DICTIONARY
The reason behind all this work on one word is the fact that, once done, that word is YOUR word, completely understood, forever. It will never block your comprehension regardless of which definition is being used because you understand and CAN USE them all.
And THAT is WORDPOWER!
“Why study the etymology of a word? Who cares anyway, I’m not sitting a Masters exam on the English Language?” Probably not, but the point behind a basic understanding of Etymology is that it gives you the ‘how come’ of the existence of the word in the language today, where it came from , and from this you can see how the word has changed over time. The latter being VERY important if you are to understand things that have been written several generations ago, (and at the current rate of change 2 or 3 generations = practically another language) ROFLMAO!
The meanings of words change over time, definitions become altered, abused, and some drop out of use, while replaced by new definitions or completely new words.
Which dictionary should I get?
Good question! Probably the best answer to this in one word is “Several!” Why? Because a single source isn’t enough and one dictionary supplier has a certain ‘angle’ on the subject of the language than another, and the constraints of space, usability, and being ‘current’ often mean that the less used definitons are left out. This can lead to holes in your knowledge and sometime a complete blocage in your study because the definition that you need just isn’t there.
The helpful thing here of course is the Internet, and you can search multiple on-line dictionaries in a few seconds to get all the definitions, especially the subject-dependent ones. This will give you the braodest possible knowledge of the words that you define.
I’m currently living and working in France, and I use a software version of a bi-lingual dictionary everyday. I gives me straight translations, and synonyms, and common mistakes (so that I don’t make them!) plus idioms and citations and a full list of “verb conjugasions” in French. I’m a computer engineer, and the software version translations often leave a lot to be desired! OMG!
So there you have it! A simple way to increase your WORDPOWER!
Have fun!
Jeremusic
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