Can some one recommend me a good English dictionary?
Hi Tes
I don't remember which base package you have but Logos has:
If they don't give you what you need, the Collins English Library is also available - at http://www.logos.com/product/3427/collins-english-dictionary-complete-and-unabridged
Is there anything particular you are looking for?
Graham
Hi Tes I don't remember which base package you have but Logos has: The Miriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary (most packages excluding Home and Original Languages) Concise Oxford English Dictionary (Scholar's Silver up) If they don't give you what you need, the Collins English Library is also available - at http://www.logos.com/product/3427/collins-english-dictionary-complete-and-unabridged Is there anything particular you are looking for? Graham
You missed one -- Collins English Dictionary. 8th ed., Complete & unabridged ed. Glasgow: HarperCollins, 2006.
http://www.logos.com/product/3427/collins-english-dictionary-complete-and-unabridged
You missed one
Hi George
I didn't so much as miss it - but called it a "Library" instead!
At least I got the link right....
I have all three English dictionaries in Logos: Concise Oxford English Dictionary (COED), Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (M-W), and Collins English Dictionary.
COED is the top one in my priority list because its concise definitions work well with the information panel, and the entries have a cleaner formatting and are easier to read than the ones in the other dictionaries. But it's worth having all three--I often find words in one but not the others. Collins has the most word entries.
Plus, COED and Collins are British dictionaries and give primacy to British definitions and spellings, whereas M-W is American, and it gives priority to American English definitions and spellings.
COED is the top one in my priority list
Coed is always top in my priority list, but I'm a member of the DOM Club [dirty old men]. [;)]
I have all three English dictionaries in Logos: Concise Oxford English Dictionary (COED), Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (M-W), and Collins English Dictionary. COED is the top one in my priority list because its concise definitions work well with the information panel, and the entries have a cleaner formatting and are easier to read than the ones in the other dictionaries. But it's worth having all three--I often find words in one but not the others. Collins has the most word entries. Plus, COED and Collins are British dictionaries and give primacy to British definitions and spellings, whereas M-W is American, and it gives priority to American English definitions and spellings.
I have them all as well, but I am looking more precise and more explanation as non-English native speaker.
Even if itis out of Logos, I am not off topic, because the problem I face is in the Logoslibrary itself. So I amgoing to use it to understand for some technical words which are used by somecommentators.
I have all three English dictionaries in Logos: Concise Oxford English Dictionary (COED), Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (M-W), and Collins English Dictionary. COED is the top one in my priority list because its concise definitions work well with the information panel, and the entries have a cleaner formatting and are easier to read than the ones in the other dictionaries. But it's worth having all three--I often find words in one but not the others. Collins has the most word entries. Plus, COED and Collins are British dictionaries and give primacy to British definitions and spellings, whereas M-W is American, and it gives priority to American English definitions and spellings. I have them all as well, but I am looking more precise and more explanation as non-English native speaker.
In that case, the only thing I can suggest is that you subscribe to the Oxford English Dictionary.
http://www.oed.com/
or that you buy either a print edition or a CD
http://www.oed.com/public/buy/the-oed-in-print-and-on-cd-rom#cdrom
Logos doesn't have a German/English dictionary, but it's been frequently requested. It seems to me that it might be the best type of book for you, if your understanding of German is already strong.
I changed my mind...I think that theological dictionaries would be best for understanding technical words in the commentaries. I think the selection of dictionaries in the IVP Reference Collection would be most helpful for that.
George suggested the OED which has very large entries, and it discusses the historical development of a word's meaning.
Thank you all, I appriciate your help.
There are several dictionaries that are aimed towards non-native English speakers, with simplified definitions, but I think none of these would really serve you well to help explain technical theological terms in language you could understand.
For example, there is the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, but its definition for atonement (just as one example) is:
Yes, that's sort of OK for when a person atones for his or her own sins. But atonement is more than showing you are sorry, it is also making things right somehow. And it doesn't come close to defining what is meant by atonement in Christian theology.
For comparison, here is how the three English dictionaries in Logos define it (I'm skipping obsolete definitions and the Christian Science definition):
You will notice some difficult words in those definitions. Often when looking up words in a dictionary, you have to look up another word in order to understand the definition. So you might need to look up reconciliation, reparation, satisfaction, and expiation.
Reconciliation means (COED): "an instance or occasion of friendly relations being restored"; Collins doesn't define reconciliation but the verb that it comes from, reconcile: "to become friendly with (someone) after estrangement or to re-establish friendly relations between (two or more people); to settle (a quarrel or difference)"
Satisfaction has a simple meaning (like when you are happy with the meal you have just eaten you are satisfied), but you might not know the other meaning, which comes from the field of Law: from COED: "the payment of a debt or fulfilment of an obligation or claim." So after learning that you could figure out how it applies to the Atonement in Christian Theology. M-W's definitions which might be relevant to our search for understanding atonement are "1. a) the payment through penance of the temporal punishment incurred by a sin; b) reparation for sin that meets the demands of divine justice; 3. a) compensation for a loss or injury; b) the discharge of a legal obligation or claim; c) VINDICATION." Again, we might be led on a rabbit trail to look up some more definitions: penance, temporal, compensation, discharge, and we still have reparation on our list from above. But you get the idea...
Reparation means (M-W): "the act of making amends, offering expiation, or giving satisfaction for a wrong or injury; something done or given as amends or satisfaction"; (COED) "the making of amends for a wrong." OK, now we have to add amends to the list of words we need to look up. Getting there!
Amends means (Collins) "recompense or compensation given or gained for some injury, insult, etc."; (M-W) "compensation for a loss or injury"; (COED): "(in phrase make amends) compensate for a wrongdoing"
Continue on until you've looked up all the related terms in each of the dictionaries and resolved any circular definitions to your satisfaction (the simple definition [:)]). Sooner or later your vocabulary will begin to grow and your understanding of concepts that you're reading about in your Logos books will improve. It just takes time, and the willingness to keep going even when there are gaps in your understanding. That's how we all learn a language as children.
Hi, Rosie, I don't mean for theological terms,what I mean is ,there are English words used by commentators which are not easy to undestand them ,I think it was last year you mentioned two dictionaries, one of them was the wordnik ,but I have forgotten the sencond one ,which had multiple dictionaries,I would be glad if you could find it out.
one ,which had multiple dictionaries
Tes, you may want to look at www.onelook.com - it harvests all of the dictionaries in the web.
Also you can do a Google search by typing "define: [word]" and it will search most of the dictionaries on the internet. Be sure to include the colon : after "define".
one ,which had multiple dictionaries Tes, you may want to look at www.onelook.com - it harvests all of the dictionaries in the web.
Thank you NewbieMick, this was the dictionary I have mentioned.
Thank you Rev Chris, this could give me multiple choice as well.
This seems like a good thread for asking something I wondered about some time ago:
When I got both, I hid M-W 10th, assuming I didn't need it when I had M-W 11th, but then, some time later, I saw a screen shot where someone had them both prioritized. Is there something in 10th that makes it useful even when you have the later edition?
This seems like a good thread for asking something I wondered about some time ago: When I got both, I hid M-W 10th, assuming I didn't need it when I had M-W 11th, but then, some time later, I saw a screen shot where someone had them both prioritized. Is there something in 10th that makes it useful even when you have the later edition?
That may have been me, since I do have them both prioritized. I didn't like the layout of the 11th as much as the 10th. I think it's harder to visually parse.
However, since I started using the COED as my primary dictionary, I don't use the M-Ws as much..
That may have been me, since I do have them both prioritized.
Quite possible. All I remember is that it was a forum regular; someone who could be expected to have a reason for prioritizing both.
I didn't like the layout of the 11th as much as the 10th. I think it's harder to visually parse.
Maybe. All those dots in the middle of the words, and the use of 'English' to show pronunciation instead of the phonetic alphabet, annoy me far more, though. So, unless someone else comes up with a better reason, I think the 10th will remain hidden, and the COED and Collin's will remain on top. Thanks for the explanation, though.
