I have with me The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Current English edited by H. W. Fowler and F. G. Fowler which millions of others must be having throughout the world.
Usually that dictionary, or any dictionary for that matter, is used to ascertain the meaning or spelling of desired words.
Such use is more or less mechanical where there is no thinking involved. That is to say when one is in doubt about the meaning or spelling of a word one refers to the dictionary and accepts what is stated there as final, authoritative and unchallengeable.
But there is yet another use of a dictionary which few people seek. That is to find out the origin alias the etymology or derivation of a word. And that is what sets a person thinking. Is the origin of a particular word mentioned in the dictionary accurate, merely speculative or downright mistaken?
It is that last-mentioned quest which forms the subject matter of the present book because I found to my shock and dismay that derivations set out in standard Oxford dictionaries are quite often below the standard or off the mark.
Questioning the competence of lexicons which have ruled the academic roost for centuries may be considered by many as brash insolence and a foolhardy adventure.
But blunders must be challenged and exposed when discovered irrespective of the height, standing and prestige of the mighty and monopolistic authority from which they emanate.
During the last twenty years or so I may have addressed three or four letters to the (chairman of the Board of Editors of the) Oxford English dictionaries including the one to Sir Roger Elliott of The Oxford University Press, pointing out to them the need for tracing the origin of English words to Sanskrit in their etymological explanations, as far as possible, as against the current practice of randomly attributing them mostly to Greek, Latin or old French.
I did receive polite and quick replies to each one of my letters from the Oxford dictionary people but they didn't solve the problem to my satisfaction. Their replies purported to defend their present etymological practice and rule-out the need for any review or reform.
Send as free online greeting card
Email a Friend
Manage Wishlist