ON CONSULTING THE DICTIONARY.
[To THE EDITOR OP THE " SPECTATOR."] SIB,—May a foreigner express his opinion on the above subject ? " C. L. D." in his letter published on August 12th says that the Concise Oxford Dictionary, by the etymologies contained in it, " affords abundant compensation " for the absence of pictures and humour. Having used it, as well as that referred to by "A. 8." (which dictionary, by the way, is Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary), I entirely share in the opinion of " C. L D." I must even add that the Concise has several other advantages, not only over Chambers's but over any other dictionary of similar size. The main features which make it so valuable, at least to a foreigner, are : (1) the examples often accompanying the definitions (2) the adequate prepositions required by intransitive verbs and by adjectives. Being neither a bookseller nor an editor, I have no interest in extolling such book or criticizing such other. Besides, I have no claim whatever to judge any book as to its literary merits. My only object is to point out the kind of dictionary that best Baits foreigners. The Concise Oxford Dictionary is perhaps the best one now extant ; but I do not mean that it has attained perfection ; many a time one regrets the lack of an illustrating example or the insufficient definition of a word. It is, as a whole, most inferior to the Petit Larousse, but far superior to many other small English dictionaries I have seen. In conclusion, I must say that English learners are yet waiting for an "English Petit Larousse," with encyclopaedic tables, clear examples and [We cannot print any more letters on this subject.—En. Spectator.]
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